Switzerland has an exemplary healthcare system internationally, which is conducive to a fair distribution of opportunities for good health. Health equity is a key objective of health policy and means that as many people as possible have the same opportunities to develop, maintain and, if necessary, restore their health. But is this really the case?
(red) At all stages of life, people are exposed to risks that can have a negative impact on their health. Scientific studies show that individual people’s resources for coping with risk are unevenly distributed. “Poverty makes you ill” and “Illness makes you poor” succinctly describe the often unfavorable interaction between the social determinants of health on the one hand and health behavior and health status on the other.
In addition to the classic social determinants such as education, occupation and income, gender, marital status, migration background and mental health also have an impact on how people deal with health risks. What is the state of health equity in Switzerland? Although life expectancy in Switzerland is high, it can vary considerably. The lower the socio-economic status (SES) in a municipality or neighborhood, the lower the life expectancy. In Bern and Lausanne, for example, men in neighborhoods with a low SES die on average 4.5 years earlier and women 2.5 years earlier than in neighborhoods with a high SES. There are also differences in terms of physical activity. More than two thirds of the Swiss population are intensively physically active at least twice a week in their leisure time. People with a higher income or higher level of education are more physically active than those with a lower income or lower level of education.
Lower level of education increases the risk of respiratory diseases
People with lower incomes are six times more likely to develop lung cancer than people with higher incomes. This is consistent with the finding that more than 75% of people who rate their state of health as “very good”, i.e. who have a very good self-reported quality of life, are non-smokers. Men are the most likely to develop prostate cancer, but the most likely to die from lung cancer.
There are also clear differences in terms of respiratory diseases. Around 400,000 people in Switzerland are affected by respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). People with a lower level of education and a lower income are more likely to develop the disease than people with a higher level of education and a higher income. Long-term smokers are particularly affected by COPD.
Around 390,000 people in Switzerland smoke 20 cigarettes or more a day. Heavy smokers are more likely than average to come from social classes with a lower level of education. Smokers have a higher risk of suffering a heart attack or lung cancer, among other things. Tobacco consumption is responsible for 90% of all lung cancer cases. Between 1997 and 2012, the proportion of smokers fell from 34% to 28%. The greatest decline was among the highest-income population group. In contrast, the lowest-income population group reduced its consumption the least.
Quelle: www.bag.admin.ch/bag/de/home/zahlen-und-statistiken/zahlen-fakten-zu-chancengleichheit.html (letzter Zugriff am 21.08.2024).
InFo PNEUMOLOGIE & ALLERGOLOGIE 2024; 6(3): 44 (published on 6.9.24, ahead of print)
