Estimating the effects of the economic and social factors on health in Iran

Health is determined by a wide range of factors including environmental, economic and social factors, which are becoming a key focus for policy-makers in terms of reducing health inequity and improving overall health outcomes. The aim of this study is to estimate the effects of some socio - economic factors on health in Iran.

The present study is an analytical cross - sectional study. In the first step, the dependent and explanatory variables were identified to answer the research questions. Then in the second step, the required data for the analysis were extracted from available resources. Next in the third step, using statistical and regression models, the correlation between dependent and explanatory variables were tested. Data were extracted from multiple sources including annual reports of the national statistical center (census), STEPwise approach to NCD risk factors surveillance survey -STEPS 2016 (n=30541) and the study of the children’s health profile 2017: anthropometry, development, nutrition (n=19270).

The study variables included a range of socio - economic and health factors including, household income, unemployment rate, family size, health price, mortality rate of children under age 1, malnutrition rates of children under age 5 and years of lost life due to the mortality of children under 1 year. The estimation of the elasticity coefficients indicated that the elasticity of life expectancy in relation to income, health price, unemployment rate and family size was (0.023), (0.060), (-0.010), (-0.171), respectively and all variables except unemployment rate were statistically significant with a p-value <0.04. the coefficient of elasticity of malnutrition among children under 5 years of age in relation to the income, health price, economic participation rate and family size was (0.601), (1.430), (-1.733), (2.268) respectively and all variables, except economic participation rate, were statistically significant with a p-value <0.08.

In this study, the effect of a number of socio-economic factors on health were evaluated through the estimation of the health functions. The results showed that most of these factors could affect health and hence, policy makers should consider them to address health inequity and improving overall health outcomes.