EVALUATION OF THE CENTRE
FOR HEALTH EQUITY STUDIES
Sally Macintyre, University of Glasgow, UK
Johan Mackenbach, University Medical Center
Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Johannes Siegrist, Heinrich-Heine-University,
Duesseldorf, Germany
September 2004
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EVALUATION OF THE CENTRE FOR HEALTH EQUITY STUDIES
1. Introduction
1.1. Background
Socioeconomic inequalities in health have been found in all countries with available
data, and currently represent one of the main challenges for public health policy
throughout the world. Future policy developments in this area are critically dependent
on progress in understanding the causes of health inequalities, and Sweden is very
well placed to contribute to this research area. The main reasons for this are the high
quality of its public health research, the commitment of the government to reduce
inequalities in health and tackle social determinants of health, and the availability of
rich sources of data, many based on large scale registries. The creation of the
interdisciplinary Centre for Health Equity Studies (CHESS) represents an important
attempt at further strengthening and focusing research into health inequalities in
Sweden.
1.2 Short history of CHESS
In March 1998 the Swedish Council for Social Research (SFR) submitted a proposal
to the government for a national research programme on inequalities in health,
including a proposal to establish a national network centre. In February 1999 the
SFR invited Swedish Universities to apply for funds for a network centre (with an
expectation that the University would match SFR funds). A joint proposal from the
Karolinska Institute and Stockholm University, led by Professors Finn Diderichsen,
Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institute, Denny Vagero, Professor
of Medical Sociology, Department of Sociology, Stockholm University, and Ulf
Lundberg, Head of Division of Biological Psychology, Department of Psychology,
Stockholm Universi