Health inequality: why is it important and can we actually measure it?

Health inequalities are present in most European countries and evidence of widening inequalities is shown in a number of national and international studies. However, the measurement and monitoring of health inequalities over time and across countries is not straightforward since the choice of measure will influence the results. Numerous measurement tools have been developed for measuring health. Results can be affected by not only the choice of indicator but also by the social group for analysis. The focus of the paper is mainly on the relationship between relative and absolute inequalities discussing the role of the statistical artefact