Objective: To examine health inequities in the working population of Latin America and the
Caribbean (LAC) according to sex, age, level of study, occupation and formality or
informality in employment.
Methods: We collected microdata from the most recent national working conditions
surveys, national health surveys, official registries and national statistics institutes, as well as
data from international organizations. We harmonized and recoded datasets in order to make
data comparable between countries, ...
Objective: To examine health inequities in the working population of Latin America and the
Caribbean (LAC) according to sex, age, level of study, occupation and formality or
informality in employment.
Methods: We collected microdata from the most recent national working conditions
surveys, national health surveys, official registries and national statistics institutes, as well as
data from international organizations. We harmonized and recoded datasets in order to make
data comparable between countries, to the extent possible. We estimated health inequity gaps
by means of simple and complex measures of inequity calculating absolute and relative
values. All analyses were stratified by sex.
Results: We found wide health inequities between occupational and educational groups in
LAC. No evidence of progress in closing the health inequity gap over time was found. The
wider health inequity gap was observed between countries. Informal employment negatively
impacts population health, which is buffered by welfare state regimes.
Conclusions. Addressing informal employment could be an effective way to improve
population health in LAC. The welfare state is an important macro-level determinant of
health that buffer the negative effects of poor working conditions on population health.
Strengthening occupational health surveillance system in LAC countries is a priority, with a
view towards informing policy
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Programa de doctorat en Biomedicina