Equity and health: analysis of the perceptions and attitudes of health professionals

Introduction and objectives

The Social Determinants of Health (SDH) influence on health equity and clinical outcomes. Their importance is highlighted by Joint Actions (JA) of EU, and currently, the JA-prevent-NCD (WP7) is addressing inequity in vulnerable populations. The objective of this study is to understand the opinions of health professionals regarding equity.

Methodology

An online survey was administered to all health professionals (5,834) in Cantabria (Spain) on SDH and equity.

Results

4.1% (241) responded. The raw response rate was higher (54.8%) in Hospital Care than in Primary Care (40.7%), with a majority of respondents being women (75.1%), and primarily physicians (46.1%) and nurses (37.3%). Physicians and nurses in training period only reached 7.3%. 50.2% of repondents were 50 years of age or older. Socioeconomic status was identified as the main source of inequity (40.7%). Age ranked second (11.6%), and accessibility to healthcare systems third (10.8%). Other classic SDH such as sex and country of birth were considered less important (5.4% and 5%, respectively).

Conclusions

The main finding of this study is the limited interest in equity issues among healthcare workers, with only 4% responding to the survey. The underrepresented views of younger generations are also concerning. Women over 50 appear to be the most aware of health equity. Socioeconomic status, age (elderly population), and accessibility were identified as the main SDHs related to equity, while the others were considered less relevant. It is important to raise awareness among healthcare professionals about health inequity and to work on social determinants of health (SDH) to improve health policies related to equity.

Co-funded by the EU. JA-NCD. GA-101128023 & INNVAL 23/08

Key messages

• Little interest about equity between health care professionals.

• Socioeconomic status were identified as the main SDHs related to equity.