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Population Aging, Health Systems, and Equity: Shared Challenges for the United States and Canada

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Abstract

In the wake of growing concern with social determinants of health, health systems and their potential contribution to health disparities have often been overlooked. Yet, as the WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health (CDSH 2008) report compellingly reminds us, health systems’ organization likely play a role in the development and the persistence of social inequalities in health. These effects are exacerbated among populations with frequent need for care: children, individuals with chronic diseases, and the elderly, and where service provision and funding are fragmented in a mix of public and private sources.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology, Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, Canada

    Amélie Quesnel-Vallée

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  1. Amélie Quesnel-Vallée
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  2. Jean-Simon Farrah
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  3. Tania Jenkins
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Correspondence to Amélie Quesnel-Vallée .

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  1. Human Development and Family Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, 97331-2302, Oregon, USA

    Richard A. Settersten

  2. Dept. Sociology, University of Texas, Austin, University Station 1, Austin, 78712, Texas, USA

    Jacqueline L. Angel

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Quesnel-Vallée, A., Farrah, JS., Jenkins, T. (2011). Population Aging, Health Systems, and Equity: Shared Challenges for the United States and Canada. In: Settersten, R., Angel, J. (eds) Handbook of Sociology of Aging. Handbooks of Sociology and Social Research. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-7374-0_35

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