Social epidemiological research on social inequalities in health among women

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K09109
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Epidemiology and preventive medicine
• Research Institution: Osaka Medical College
• Principal Investigator: Honjo Kaori 大阪医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (60448032)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 磯 博康 大阪大学, 医学系研究科, 教授 (50223053) ; 野田 愛 (池田愛) 順天堂大学, 医学部, 特任准教授 (10616121) ; 仙田 幸子 東北学院大学, 教養学部, 教授 (90316696)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 健康格差 / ジェンダー / 社会疫学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study was to elucidate the health effect of social factors relating to work and family life and to grasp the trend of social health disparity among women in Japan. We found an association between employment type and subjective health, which varies depending on the household structure and economic conditions. We also found that the risk of natural stillbirth differed by the mother's occupation and that the family environment factors have a great influence on the health of women who are expected to play the role of providing social support throughout their lives. We also identified that the social disparities in the health of working-age women tended to widen in the 2010s.Widened health disparities among women could be a result of the delay in the establishment of a system to support female workers.
From the results shown in this study, a public health approach paying attention to working and family environments surrounding women was suggested to be important.

Free Research Field

社会疫学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

日本において女性の社会的健康格差は拡大の傾向がみられたが、これは、就労参加が促進したにもかかわらず、就労をサポートする制度整備が遅れたからではないかと考える。また、就労や家庭生活における様々な要因が健康と関連があるという結果から、今後、女性を取り巻く就労環境、家庭環境に留意した公衆衛生アプローチが重用であることが示唆される。