Political economy and population health: is Australia exceptional?
2006
Australia's Health and Political Economy
publication
Evidence: moderate
Author Information
Author(s): Anne-marie Boxall, Stephanie D Short
Primary Institution: The University of Sydney
Hypothesis
Does the degree of inequality in social and economic conditions influence population health in Australia?
Conclusion
Despite adopting neo-liberal policies, Australia's population health outcomes remain among the best in the world.
Supporting Evidence
- Australia ranks third in the world on life expectancy at birth.
- Australia has the best population health indicators among liberal political economies, excluding Japan.
- Despite neo-liberal reforms, Australia's population health outcomes are among the best globally.
Takeaway
Even though Australia has changed its economic policies, its people's health is still really good, which is surprising.
Limitations
The study is preliminary and lacks rigorous statistical analysis.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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