Proof Positive: New Study Shows that Political Ideology Impacts Public
Health

    TORONTO, Sept. 14 /CNW/ - Published in Lancet and released by the
Centre
for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), a new study entitled Politics and
Health Outcomes makes an empirical link between a government's political
ideology and the health of its citizens. While many have debated the link
between public health and politics - or taken for granted the correlation
between the two - this is the first study to prove a direct relationship.

    Led by Dr. Carles Muntaner, CAMH Psychiatric and Addictions Nursing
Research Chair and professor at the University of Toronto, this study
examined
the complex interactions between political traditions, policies and public
health outcomes. Dr. Muntaner and colleagues wanted to find out whether
different political traditions have been associated with systemic patterns
in
population health over time.

    The researchers focused on selected countries within the Organisation
For
Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Each was a developed country
with democratic representation and a free market economy. Dr. Muntaner and
colleagues grouped the countries into four political traditions that
governed
these countries from 1950 to 2000. The four traditions were: social
democratic, Christian democratic (or conservative, in the Judeo-Christian
tradition), liberal, and authoritarian conservative (dictatorship).

    According Dr. Muntaner, who is also network co-chair at the WHO
Commission on Social Determinants of Health, "we found that parties that
provide services to correct social inequalities tend to improve the health
of
the whole population." These redistributive polices, such as welfare and
childcare assistance, had a positive effect on selected health indicators
used
in this study, namely infant mortality and life expectancy at birth.

    The data clearly demonstrated that long periods of government by
pro-redistributive parties, such as those in Scandinavian countries with a
social democratic political tradition, result in low infant mortality rates
and increased life expectancy. In Scandinavia, the average public social
expenditure is 30% of gross domestic product (GDP) and the average public
health care expenditure over the past 10 years was 7.2%. Countries mainly
governed by liberal parties, including Canada and the United States, have
not
had as strong a commitment to redistributive polices as either the social
democratic or Christian democratic governments. In these countries with
liberal political traditions, the average public social expenditure is 24%
of
GDP, and the average public health expenditure is 5.8% of GDP. This
resulted
in higher infant mortality rates and decreased life expectancy compared to
Scandinavian countries.

    While these results have tremendous implications and could encourage
government to address social inequalities to improve public health, this is
only the beginning.

    "Now we need to investigate what specific diseases benefit the most
from
redistributive policies. We also need to look at what outcomes are most
sensitive to health care policies," said Dr. Muntaner.

    The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is a specialized
teaching hospital fully affiliated with the University of Toronto, and is
the
largest mental health and addiction facility in Canada. CAMH is also a Pan
American Health Organization and a World Health Organization Collaborating
Centre.


For further information: or to schedule interviews with survey
investigators, please contact Michael Torres, Media Relations Coordinator,
CAMH, at (416) 595-6015

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