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Measuring the effect of ethnic and non-ethnic discrimination on Europeans’ self-rated health

  • Original Article
  • Published:
International Journal of Public Health

Abstract

Objectives

The study of perceived discrimination based on race and ethnic traits belongs to a long-held tradition in this field, but recent studies have found that non-ethnic discrimination based on factors such as gender, disability or age is also a crucial predictor of health outcomes.

Methods

Using data from the European Social Survey (2010), and applying Boolean Factor Analysis and Ordered Logistic Regression models, this study is aimed to compare how ethnic and non-ethnic types of discrimination might affect self-rated health in the European context.

Results

We found that non-ethnic types of discrimination produce stronger differences on health outcomes. This result indicates that the probabilities of presenting a poor state of health are significantly higher when individuals feel they are being discriminated against for social or demographic conditions (gender, age, sexuality or disability) rather than for ethnic reasons (nationality, race, ethnicity, language or religiosity).

Conclusions

This study offers a clear comparison of health inequalities based on ethnic and non-ethnic types of discrimination in the European context, overcoming analytical based on binary indicators and simple measures of discrimination.

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Acknowledgments

The working group of research on health and social policy at the University Loyola Andalusia, and the PSICOST scientific association.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of International Studies, Loyola University Andalusia, Seville, Spain

    Javier Alvarez-Galvez

  2. Department of Sociology IV (Research Methodology and Communication Theory), Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    Javier Alvarez-Galvez

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  1. Javier Alvarez-Galvez
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Correspondence to Javier Alvarez-Galvez.

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Alvarez-Galvez, J. Measuring the effect of ethnic and non-ethnic discrimination on Europeans’ self-rated health. Int J Public Health 61, 367–374 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-015-0728-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-015-0728-1

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