Politics and health outcomes

• Published in: The Lancet (British edition) Vol. 368; no. 9540; pp. 1033 - 1037
• Main Authors: Navarro, Vicente, Muntaner, Carles, Borrell, Carme, Benach, Joan, Quiroga, Águeda, Rodríguez-Sanz, Maica, Vergés, Núria, Pasarín, M Isabel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Elsevier Ltd 16.09.2006; Lancet; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Canada; Europe; Female; GDP; General aspects; Gross Domestic Product; Health; Health care expenditures; Humans; Income distribution; Infant mortality; Life expectancy; Male; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous; Outcome Assessment (Health Care); Political Systems; Politics; Public health; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Traditions; United States; Vital Statistics; Canada; United States; Europe; Medicine; Evolution; Prognosis; Public health
• ISSN: 0140-6736; 1474-547X
• DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(06)69341-0

The aim of this study was to examine the complex interactions between political traditions, policies, and public health outcomes, and to find out whether different political traditions have been associated with systematic patterns in population health over time. We analysed a number of political, economic, social, and health variables over a 50-year period, in a set of wealthy countries belonging to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Our findings support the hypothesis that the political ideologies of governing parties affect some indicators of population health. Our analysis makes an empirical link between politics and policy, by showing that political parties with egalitarian ideologies tend to implement redistributive policies. An important finding of our research is that policies aimed at reducing social inequalities, such as welfare state and labour market policies, do seem to have a salutary effect on the selected health indicators, infant mortality and life expectancy at birth.