Health inequity in workers of Latin America and the Caribbean

Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p><jats:bold>Background:</jats:bold> Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is the world’s most inequitable region in terms of wealth distribution. The full scale of social inequalities in health has been hidden by the lack of reliable data. This study aimed to measure and compare health inequalities in the working population within and between 15 countries of LAC. <jats:bold>Methods:</jats:bold> A sample of 180 163 workers aged 18 years and older was drawn from the most recent national surveys of working conditions or health in 15 LAC countries. Poor self-perceived health (P-SPH) was used as a health indicator, and age, education level, and occupational category as inequality stratifiers. We calculated four measures: absolute and relative population-attributable risks, the Kuznets and weighted Keppel indexes.<jats:bold>Results:</jats:bold> P-SPH prevalence ranged from 9% in men from Uruguay to 50% in women from Nicaragua. It was higher in women than in men in most countries. A clear gradient was shown, in which young people in non-manual skilled jobs and high education had the lowest prevalence. Nearly 45% of cases that reported P-SPH among men and 35% among women could be avoided if all the groups received a higher level of education. Also, approximately 42% of P-SPH reported by men and 31% by women could be avoided if they all shared the working and employment conditions of non-manual skilled jobs. <jats:bold>Conclusions:</jats:bold> Wide health inequalities were found between occupational and educational groups in LAC. However, country borders appear to be an even more important stratifier in the production of health inequalities. Urgent interventions to improve worker’s health are needed in countries where prevalence of poor self-perceived health is high. Strengthening occupational health surveillance system in LAC countries should become a priority, in order to track the interventions to reduce occupational health inequity.</jats:p>

COVID-19 Remote Consultation Services and Population in Health Inequity-Concentrating Territories: A Scoping Review

“…The 33 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) comprise the most inequitable regions of the world, resulting in a significant impact on the health of its population. 4 Historically, most LAC countries have had two separate public sector systems: a social security system, which is better financed and offers comprehensive benefits; and a noncontributory system, which serves vulnerable populations. They also have a private insurance system that includes alternative supplementary coverage disproportionately provided for wealthy groups.…”

Informal Employment, Working Conditions, and Self-Perceived Health: A Cross-Sectional Study in Urban Working Population in Peru

“…A study in Brazil revealed that informal part-time workers reported arthritis, bronchitis, heart disease, cirrhosis, depression and chronic disease more often than their counterparts in full-time with social protection [17]. Also, a study in 15 Latin American countries found that manual (skilled and nonskilled) jobs had the highest P-SPH, and that around 42% of P-SPH in men and 31% in women could be avoided if they had the working and employment conditions of the workers in non-manual skilled jobs [18]. Due to lack of government control, working conditions in informal employment are frequently not in accordance with health and safety laws often to avoid costs associated to regulation's requirements (safety training or protective equipment) or to pay lower salaries.…”

Salaried Workers’ Self-Perceived Health and Psychosocial Risk in Guayaquil, Ecuador

“…The findings were similar between women and men. However, several studies have observed that lack of social support from colleagues and particularly from employers, as well as high quantitative demands at work, may affect SHS among women to a greater extent [23,24,25,26,27]. In this sense, it would be useful for organizations in general and human resources personnel more specifically to design strategies aiming to strengthen collaboration in the workplace.…”