A decomposition analysis for socioeconomic inequalities in health status associated with the COVID-19 diagnosis and related symptoms during Brazil's first wave of infections

Recent studies have shown that COVID-19 affects different population groups asymmetrically. This work uses data from the National Survey of Households-PNAD COVID-19/IBGE-to quantify the socioeconomic inequality in health during the first wave of COVID-19 infections in Brazil. We use the concentratio...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Economia (Associação Nacional dos Centros de Pós-Graduação em Economia : 2000) 2021-12, Vol.22 (3), p.251-264
Main Authors: de França, Natália Cecília, Lima Campêlo, Guaracyane, de França, João Mário Santos, Vale, Eleydiane Maria Gomes, Badagnan, Thaísa França
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
COVID-19
Decomposition analysis
Health inequality
Pre-existing disease
Socioeconomic factors
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Summary:Recent studies have shown that COVID-19 affects different population groups asymmetrically. This work uses data from the National Survey of Households-PNAD COVID-19/IBGE-to quantify the socioeconomic inequality in health during the first wave of COVID-19 infections in Brazil. We use the concentration curve, the concentration index, and a decomposition analysis to verify the factors that most influence the inequalities in the specified health variables. We find a positive concentration index for the incidence rate, indicating a greater concentration of diagnoses (number of tests) among groups with higher income levels. When considering symptoms similar to a COVID-19 infection, inequality practically disappears. Among people with higher income, a pre-existing disease has a more significant contribution to the concentration of COVID-19 in the presence of correlated symptoms than in its diagnosis. Tests of dominance support the findings. Moreover, the decomposition results show that if the inequalities were explained only by race (non-white) and place of living (North and Northeast), there would be a concentration of COVID-19 among the poorest.
ISSN:1517-7580
2358-2820
1517-7580
DOI:10.1016/j.econ.2021.09.002