Inequalities of Opportunity in the Use of Healthcare by Young Adults in France

Abstract

[eng] While the health of young adults is a recognised public health issue in France, less attention is paid to their use of healthcare. This article examines the existence of unequal opportunities in the use of healthcare for young adults using data from the National Survey on the Resources of Young Adults (Enquete nationale sur les ressources des jeunes 2014). Using the framework of the philosophy of responsibility, a distinction is made between “unfair” inequalities linked to circumstances beyond the control of young people – or unequal opportunity, and “fair” inequalities linked to characteristics for which they are responsible. Linear probability models are used to estimate the associations between the probabilities of non-use (non-utilisation and foregone health care) and parental characteristics (complementary health insurance, main activity, income, marital and vital status) on the one hand and those of the young person (education, main activity, whether living in the parental home or not, financial resources, complementary health insurance) on the other, reflecting the existence of unfair and fair inequalities respectively. Variance decomposition makes it possible to quantify these inequalities and suggests that unfair inequalities outweigh fair inequalities.