Health in Europe and Russia

Abstract

The article is devoted to differences in people's health in European countries and the social inequalities associated with this subject. An analysis of 2008 European Social Survey data (a representative sample of twenty-eight countries), World Bank statistics, and World Health Organization statistics is conducted using two-level logistic modeling techniques. The analysis shows that as a rule public health in postcommunist countries is significantly worse than in other parts of the continent. The cause of this discrepancy is the relatively low level of development of the economy, welfare, and public administration of many of these countries, as well as a weakening of social integration. It is also shown that European health is structured according to demographic and social characteristics, which are dependent on the macro context of a country's level of social development. As social development improves, social inequalities in health become more uniform.