1. Horizontal inequity in self-reported morbidity and untreated morbidity in India: Evidence from National Sample Survey Data
- Author
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Veenapani Rajeev Verma and Umakant Dash
- Subjects
Male ,Erreygers concentration index ,0302 clinical medicine ,Health care ,Medicine ,Untreated morbidity ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Child ,media_common ,education.field_of_study ,030503 health policy & services ,Health Policy ,National Sample Survey Data ,lcsh:Public aspects of medicine ,Health services research ,Middle Aged ,Child, Preschool ,Female ,0305 other medical science ,Adult ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Inequality ,Adolescent ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Population ,Survey sampling ,India ,Decomposition of inequalities ,03 medical and health sciences ,Young Adult ,Humans ,Healthcare Disparities ,education ,Health policy ,Equity (economics) ,business.industry ,Research ,Public health ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Infant, Newborn ,Infant ,Correction ,lcsh:RA1-1270 ,Horizontal inequities ,Self-reported morbidity ,Cross-Sectional Studies ,Socioeconomic Factors ,Self Report ,Morbidity ,business ,Demography - Abstract
Background Health outcomes in India are characterized by pervasive inequities due to deeply entrenched socio-economic gradients amongst the population. Therefore, it is imperative to investigate these systematic disparities in health, however, evidence of inequities does not commensurate with its policy objectives in India. Thus, our paper aims to examine the magnitude of and trends in horizontal inequities in self-reported morbidity and untreated morbidity in India over the period of 2004 to 2017–18. Methods The study used cross-sectional data from nationwide healthcare surveys conducted in 2004, 2014 and 2017–18 encompassing sample size of 3,85,055; 3,35,499 and 5,57,887 individuals respectively. Erreygers concentration indices were employed to discern the magnitude and trend in horizontal inequities in self-reported morbidity and untreated morbidity. Need standardized concentration indices were further used to unravel the inter-regional and intra-regional income related inequities in outcomes of interest. Additionally, regression based decomposition approach was applied to ascertain the contributions of both legitimate and illegitimate factors in the measured inequalities. Results Estimates were indicative of profound inequities in self-reported morbidity as inequity indices were positive and significant for all study years, connoting better-off reporting more morbidity, given their needs. These inequities however, declined marginally from 2004(HI: 0.049, pPp Conclusions Pro-rich and pro-poor inequities in reported and untreated morbidities respectively persisted from 2004 to 2017–18 despite reforms in Indian healthcare. Magnitude of these inequities declined marginally over the years. Health policy in India should strive for targeted interventions closing inequity gap.
- Published
- 2021