RT journal article
T1 The impact of financial crisis and austerity policies in Andalusia, Spain: disentangling the mechanisms of social inequalities in health through the perceptions and experiences of experts and the general population
A1 Álvarez Gálvez, Javier
A1 Sanz Suarez-Lledo, Víctor José
A1 Martinez-Cousinou, Gloria
A1 Muniategui-Azkona, Eider
A1 Gonzalez-Portillo, Auxiliadora
A2 Bioquímica y Biología MolecularMicrobiología, Medicina Preventiva, Salud Pública
K1 Financial crisis
K1 Social determinants of health
K1 Socioeconomic status
K1 Health inequalities
K1 Qualitative methods
K1 Spain
AB Background: Andalusia has been one of the regions most damaged by the economic crisis in Spain. A qualitativestudy of the effects of the economic crisis and austerity policies in this region has been conducted within theframework of the IMPACT-A project. This research seeks to analyse the perceived impact of the crisis upon thehealth of the Andalusian population through the first-hand discourses of professionals from the health and socialsectors on the one hand, and citizens of different socioeconomic status (SES) on the other.Methods: A total of five focus groups and ten semi-structured interviews were conducted and analysed followingan inductive process based on Grounded Theory (GT).Results: Our results show a general perception among professionals: the financial crisis has either directly orindirectly affected population health in Andalusia, though mostly impacting low-income individuals who werealready at risk of social exclusion. Professionals’ perceptions have been confirmed through the discourses of citizensof a lower SES, which differ from those of middle and upper SES.Conclusion: Findings reveal some of the most salient consequences on the socially vulnerable groups andpeople at risk of social exclusion. In particular, our study highlights the importance of addressing three areas ofpriority action: mental health, unmet (basic and medical) needs, and decline in the health system.
PB BMC
SN 1475-9276
YR 2019
FD 2019-07
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10498/21660
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10498/21660
LA eng
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Cádiz
RD 11-nov-2026