This resource is available in French only.
The resource introduction was written by Martine Shareck, Ph.D. Candidate, Public Health, Université de Montréal.
Written primarily for political actors and community stakeholders, this report from l’Institut National de Santé Publique du Québec would be of interest to anyone who wants to know more about the role of individuals and the local environment in the production of social inequalities in health. This 106-page report brings together the results of several studies conducted in three areas in the region of Quebec City (Quebec, Canada). The goal of these studies, published elsewhere as monographs and scholarly articles, was to answer the following research question: “How do social processes interact to create and perpetuate health disparities within a population?”
The authors used a combination of methods (questionnaires, interviews with respondents and key informants, geographic databases, field surveys) to take a multidisciplinary look at how neighbourhood, family, and workplace environments interact to generate social inequalities in health. The comparative approach (three localities) led to interesting findings, in particular, the finding that the most resource-deprived areas are not necessarily those where residents have the “unhealthiest” behaviours. The authors arrive at several conclusions that shed as much light on the research process as on the community intervention. For example, the impact of resource availability is affected by residents’ perceptions of the resources, and how they use them. Suggestions are offered to guide the interventions of community stakeholders, particularly related to involving several sectors and targeting initiatives for specific groups or geographic areas.
Use this this resource to:
- Further your knowledge about the role of individuals, their local environments, and the interaction of the two in the production of social inequalities in health
- Illustrate how methods that combine quantitative analyses and qualitative exploration contribute to research and interventions on social inequalities in health
- Encourage reflection on the development and implementation of intersectoral actions to reduce social inequalities in health
Institut National de Santé Publique du Québec. (2008). Santé: pourquoi ne sommes-nous pas égaux. Comment les inégalités sociales de santé se créent et se perpétuent.