Rethinking the relationship between socio-economic status and health: Making the case for sociological theory in health inequality research

The aim of this study is to analyse previous explanations of social inequality in health and argue for a closer integration of sociological theory into future empirical research. Much of the empirical research on health inequalities has tended to rely on explanations with a static and unidirectional view of the association between socio-economic status and health, assuming a unidirectional causal relationship between largely static categories. The authors argue for the use of sociological theory to develop more dynamic models that enhance the understanding of the complex pathways and mechanisms linking social structures to health.

Authors: E. Øversveen, H. T. Rydland, C. Bambra, T. A. Eikemo

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