Understanding the causes of widening socio-economic health inequities in the Netherlands: A mixed methods approach

In the Netherlands, people with higher socio-economic status live longer, healthier lives than those with lower status, with this gap widening over time. Research is urgently needed to understand why this has occurred. No comprehensive overview of the mechanisms linking socio-economic status and health exists yet. To address this gap, a conceptual framework will be built, based on a literature review and participatory input. This framework will then be integrated into a microsimulation model to test mechanisms linking socio-economic status and health. Doing so will help tease out why today’s health inequities have widened, and identify how to reduce them.