 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Emiko Masaki, MA, MPH, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, 2150 Oxford St. #18, Berkeley, CA 94704, 510-642-5692, emasaki@uclink.berkeley.edu
Context: Health is strongly grounded in social, cultural, and environmental factors. At the same time, health must be seen within the broader context of the political economy. Social and political upheavals such as war, conflict, and civil unrest each have negative and differing impacts on health through different channels. Strong political will is critical in setting national priorities on health, in order to ensure access to health care and to achieve an equitable health system; at the same time, political responsiveness to public priorities is needed in order to meet the needs of a population effectively. The main objective of this study is to examine the political determinants of health. Specifically, the study will investigate the effects that political and institutional factors have on infant mortality rates.
Methods: Using a sample of 143 countries, we conducted multivariate regression analysis to examine the effects of political and institutional factors on infant mortality rates. Key political and institutional measures tested in this study include political stability, government effectiveness, rule of law, corruption, press freedom, and institutional type.
Result: The study result shows strong associations between political factors and infant mortality rates. Among those tested from political and institutional factors, we found that government effectiveness and political stability have a significant impact on infant mortality rates. The result indicates that while various health interventions, socioeconomic conditions, and environmental factors are all important determinants of health, political determinants of health planning, prioritization, and implementation can have significant effects on health outcomes.
Learning Objectives:
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.