SAĞLIK, GELİR EŞİTSİZLİĞİ VE YOKSULLUK: GELİŞMİŞ VE GELİŞMEKTE OLAN ÜLKELER ÜZERİNE BİR İNCELEME

Öz

Gelir eşitsizliği ve yoksulluk, sağlığın temel sosyo-ekonomik belirleyicileri arasında yer almakta; sağlık çıktıları ve nüfusun farklı kesimleri arasındaki eşitsizlikler üzerinde önemli bir etki yaratmaktadır. Gelir eşitsizliğinin artmasıyla birlikte görece düşük gelirli grupların sağlık durumu sıklıkla bozulmaktadır. Benzer biçimde, yetersiz gelirin doğrudan bir sonucu olan yoksulluk olgusu da bireylerin temel ihtiyaçlarını karşılayamamasına ve dolayısıyla genel sağlık düzeyinin gerilemesine yol açmaktadır. Bu çerçevede çalışmanın temel amacı, gelişmiş ve gelişmekte olan ülkelerde yoksulluk ve gelir eşitsizliğinin sağlık çıktısı üzerindeki etkisinin incelenmesidir. 2004-2019 dönemini kapsayan veriler kullanılarak her iki ülke grubu için Driscoll-Kraay tahmincisi ile iki ayrı model tahmin edilmiştir. İlk model gelir eşitsizliğinin sağlık üzerindeki etkisini incelerken, ikinci model yoksulluğun sağlık çıktısı üzerindeki etkisini değerlendirmektedir. Birinci modele ilişkin ampirik bulgular, gelir eşitsizliğinin hem gelişmiş hem de gelişmekte olan ülkelerde sağlık çıktısı üzerinde istatistiksel olarak anlamlı ve negatif bir etkiye sahip olduğunu ortaya koymaktadır. Benzer şekilde ikinci modele ilişkin bulgular da her iki ülke grubunda yoksulluğun sağlık üzerinde istatistiksel olarak anlamlı ve olumsuz bir etkisinin bulunduğunu göstermektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Yoksulluk
• Gelir Eşitsizliği
• Sağlık

HEALTH, INCOME INEQUALITY, AND POVERTY: AN EXAMINATION OF DEVELOPED AND DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

Öz

Income inequality and poverty are fundamental socioeconomic determinants of health, exerting an important impact on health outcomes and driving disparities across different segments of the population. As income inequality intensifies, the health status of relatively lower-income groups is often compromised. Similarly, poverty, which is a direct consequence of insufficient income, leads to the inability to meet basic needs, subsequently resulting in a deterioration of overall health. Within this framework, the primary objective of this study is to examine the effects of poverty and income inequality on the health outcome in both developed and developing countries. Utilizing a dataset spanning the period 2004–2019, two distinct models were estimated for both country groups using the Driscoll–Kraay estimator. The first model investigates the impact of income inequality on health, while the second assesses the influence of poverty on the health outcome. The empirical findings from the first model indicate that income inequality has a statistically significant negative effect on the health outcome in both developed and developing countries. Correspondingly, results from the second model reveal that poverty similarly has a statistically significant detrimental impact on health across both groups of countries.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Poverty
• Income Inequality
• Health

Kaynakça

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