The impact of social policies on health inequalities in Europe

Despite the progress made in population health, there are still large differences in health between countries and within countries for different socioeconomic groups. This dissertation examines the impact of social policy on socioeconomic inequalities in health in Europe. Data from the European Social Survey, the European Values Study 2008 and several data sources for macro level indicators are used to examine whether social policy moderates the relationship between socioeconomic status and health. In three chapters, social policy is operationalised according to the regime approach, the expenditure approach and the institutional approach. While social policy—irrespective of its operationalisation—has a positive effect on population health, results regarding the impact of social policy on socioeconomic health inequalities are inconsistent