Health and socioeconomic status in St. Lucia

ABSTRACT

This dissertation examines the relationship between health status and socioeconomic status in St. Lucia. Data for the study were collected during a nationwide survey carried out in St Lucia in 1990. Using bivarite and multivariate analyses, the pattern of relationship between health and socioeconomic status was examined and defined. The analyses showed that there was a persistent pattern in the relationship between health and socioeconomic status generally, the higher the socioeconomic status of an individual, the better the health status. Recognizing that the link between health and socioeconomic status is the access to health facilities, the accessibility and utilization of the private and public health facilities by the various socioeconomic groups are also examined. The study reveals that the disadvantaged socioeconomic groups generally have more diabilities, possess less access to better quality care and utilize the public health care facilities more than the other socioeconomic groups. The study ends with some guidelines for future research in the Caribbean.