Health inequalities: influence of social group on perceived health impairment.

Summary Health inequalities are marked in France according to social group. In 2006, among the population aged 30 to 49 years, working in 2006 and 2010, executives and intermediate professions were respectively 90% and 87% to consider themselves in good or very good health, against 81% of employees and 79% of workers. Starting from a high level of perceived health, executives are less likely to see their health improve between 2006 and 2010. In fact, 6% of them report such an improvement during this period, compared to 8% of blue-collar workers. However, the evolution of the health of managers is globally more favourable than that of workers, since fewer of them report a deterioration of their health between 2006 and 2010 (8% versus 15%). For comparable general health status and individual characteristics in 2006, managers and intermediate professions are less likely than workers to experience a deterioration in their perceived health four years later.