Social Exclusion as a Determinant of Health Inequalities

Emilie Renahy, McGill University
Beatriz Alvarado Llano, Queens University
Sam Harper, McGill University
Amélie Quesnel-Vallée, McGill University

Despite decades of universal health insurance coverage, most developed countries are still faced with glaring health inequalities. Social exclusion is a complex concept that has been less studied in the social health inequalities literature. Using the Canadian Household Panel Survey–pilot conducted by Statistics Canada in 2008, the objective of this study is 1/ to develop conceptually and test the statistical properties of an index of social exclusion in Canada and 2/ to assess the association between health status and this index compared to usual measures of socioeconomic position. Three main dimensions will be used: material resources, financial risks and financial products. The prevalence of social exclusion by age, sex, migration status and living arrangements will allow us to define excluded or vulnerable groups in the Canadian society. This work will provide key evidence and propose orientations for future public health and social policies.