Health Disparity Still Exists in an Economically Well-Developed Society in Asia

Abstract

BackgroundThe socioeconomic inequalities in child health continue to widen despite improved economy.ObjectiveTo investigate the correlation between socio-economic factors and health risk behaviors and psychosocial well-being of children in Hong Kong.HypothesisThe null hypothesis is that for this particular developed region, there exists little or no correlation between social-economic factors and health risk behaviors and psychosocial well-being of children.DesignCross sectional territory wide survey.ParticipantsCaregivers of 7,000 children in kindergartens in Hong Kong.Measuring toolsYouth Risk Behavior Surveillance questionnaire, health-related knowledge and hygienic practice questionnaire, and Children Behavior Checklist (CBCL).ResultsChildren were less likely to have somatic complaints and anxiety/depression as reflected by CBCL scores coming from families of higher income, not being recipients of social assistance, with fathers in employment, and with higher parental education. Children with only mother or father as caretakers had lower odds ratios (ORs) 0.71 (95% CI 0.58-0.89) and 0.53 (95% CI 0.33-0.84) respectively to have the habit of eating breakfast, whilst parental education at post-secondary level and higher family income had higher ORs 1.91 (95% CI 1.31-2.78), and 1.63 (95% CI 1.11-2.39). Fathers unemployed, relatives as main caretakers and living in districts with low median household inome incurred higher ORs, as 1.46 (95% CI 1.10-1.94),1.52 (95% CI 1.27-1.83) and 1.17 (95% CI 1.02-1.34) respectively, of watching television over two hours daily, whilst children with parental education at secondary level or above incurred lower OR 0.33 (95% CI 0.24-0.45). Children with parental education at post-secondary level and higher family income had lower ORs of 0.32 (95% CI 0.48-0.97) and 0.52 (95% CI 0.34-0.79) respectively, with regard to exposing to passive smoking, and reversed for those living in districts with lower median household income, lower family income and recipient of CSSA with ORs 1.24 (95% CI 1.06-1.44) and 1.6 (95% CI 1.09-2.37) respectively.ConclusionNull hypothesis was not supported. A strong gradient was still found to exist among different socio-economic groups for various health-related behaviors in developed society like Hong Kong.

Access to choice: Examining differences between adolescent and adult abortion fund service recipients

“…In countries such as Pakistan, laws do not protect adolescent girls from early marriage, and in Haiti, lack of access to sexual health information leads to high rates of early and unintended pregnancy (Chandra‐Mouli, Camancho, & Michaud, ). In Hong Kong, which has a well‐developed health system, socioeconomic vulnerability impacts adolescent health status (Lee et al., ). In the United States of America (US), family health insurance plans, which cover health expenses in the absence of a national health programme, do not always assure privacy for adolescents, and when they do, billing practices often compromise adolescent confidentiality (Society for Adolescent Health & Medicine, ).…”

A Qualitative Analysis of How Anthropologists Interpret the Race Construct

“…Studies in Hong Kong and China found that socioeconomic status and migrant status, respectively, were associated with health outcomes for children (Ying et al. ; Lee et al ). These global comparisons are a reminder that differences in disease prevalence and health outcomes are largely determined by various social and structural factors, and that biological dimensions of race play a more pivotal role in some geopolitical contexts than others.…”

Accessing health care: Experiences of South Asian ethnic minority women in Hong Kong

“…The US Department of Health and Human Services stipulated six major factors to improve health outcomes among their racial/ethnic minority population: insurance coverage, health-care access, health literacy, resource utilization, quality of care, and language discrimination (Hossain, Ehtesham, Salzman, Jenson, & Calkins, 2013). Among these, health-care access has been reported to be the largest barrier to equitable care and the major cause of health disparity (Lee et al, 2015;Raglan, Lannon, Jones, & Schulkin, 2016;Tang, Zhao, Li, Zhang, & Lee, 2017). Health-care access has been conceptualized in various ways, ranging from entry into the system (Aday & Andersen, 1981) to the multiple dimensions of availability, accessibility, acceptability, affordability, and accommodation (Penchansky & Thomas, 1981).…”