9.5.2. Data sources

Sources for this report are predominantly taken from work produced by the World Health Organization (WHO) and NGOs working in specific health fields, supported by excerpts taken from academic reports and articles. Much of the reporting done by WHO is based on quantitative information. The majority of the academic articles report work done on a smaller regional scale in specific areas of condition or disease. While most of these studies are quantitative also, the nature of their subject content means that they serve to supply qualitative back-up to some of the more statistical information: nutrition and lifestyles of the elderly, for example, or constructs of masculinities and femininities in schools. Specific gender-disaggregated information is still difficult to obtain. Of what there is, the focus tends to be on the female condition, since women have to date been in a more vulnerable socio-economic position. But males can be victims too, and more work is needed to explain the differing male and female health experience

Basic principles of epidemiology can measure the status of health within populations, but fail to provide clear information on the influence over the years of the wider health determinants and inequalities in health (Bonté, 2004). Exemplars of data collection which reflect inequalities in health are the Euro-REVES (International Network on Health Expectancy and the Disability Process project) and ECHI (the European Community Public Health Indicators). Euro-REVES was set up to provide comparable health indicators that would address inequalities in the health of European populations. These indicators can simultaneously assess the evolution of mortality, morbidity and disability and thus determine the likelihood of questions such as whether we are exchanging longer life for poorer health (Robine et al, 2004). ECHI build on the work and activities of previous programmes from the public health framework (Cancer, HIV/AIDS, Drugs, health promotion, Health Monitoring, Pollution related Prevention Programme, Rare Diseases and Injuries and Accidents).

See also section 9.2 for additional data sources. 

The UK Department of Health has commissioned research into the different ways man and women access health services. The Report , due to be published in 2008, is intended to:

-         Enhance understanding of gender differences in the use of health and social care services;

-         Provide an evidence base to help determine key gender health priorities ;

-         Inform the development of gender sensitive policy;

-         Provide a basis for actions to address gender inequalities in health outcomes.