Diet, Health and Inequality in Albania Katherine Bates, LSE & Dr Arjan Gjonça,

LSE

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 800

1000

2000

3000

4000

Ukraine

Russia

Romania

PolandLithuania

Latvia

HungaryCzech Rep.

Bulgaria

Albania

Life Expectancy at Birth, years (1993)GD

P pe

r ca

pita

, cur

rent

US$

(19

93)

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 900

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

Ukraine

Russia

Romania

PolandLithuaniaLatviaHungary

Czech Rep.

Bulgaria

Albania

Life Expectancy at Birth, years (2011)

GD

P pe

r ca

pita

, cur

rent

US$

(20

11)

Life Expectancy at Birth and GDP per capita 2010Life Expectancy at Birth and GDP per capita 1993

Increasing mortality

Increasing no. of olive tree

Largest Expeller

Largest Absorber

1990s→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→2000s→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→2010s

Primary Secondary Tertiary0.05

0.07

0.09

0.11

0.13

0.15

0.17

Tirana 2008NE 2008Central 2008

Poorest 20% Other Richest 20%0.07

0.09

0.11

0.13

0.15

0.17

0.19

Central 2008Tirana 2008NE 2008Coast 2008

1. In the 1990s, Albania was shown to be a ‘Good Health at Low Coast Country’ with a life expectancy high given the country's GDP per capita.2. The dietary pattern in Albania

paralleled the North/South gradient in mortality at that time, with the South consuming a more Mediterranean Diet.

3. Between 1989 and 2001 huge internal and international migration within and out of Albania occurred. Such movements had been severely restricted under Communism.

4. An analysis of the 2002 LSMS revealed that in 2002 it was in the South coastal region that people were much more likely to report having a chronic illness.

5. In 2010, Albania remained a ‘Good Health at Low Cost’ Country when compared to other Central and Eastern European Countries.

6. The 2008 LSMS showed no regional differences in reportage of chronic illness but did reveal increasing socioeconomic inequality.

Between 2002 and 2008, increasing socioeconomic inequality in the

probability of reporting a chronic illness is observed.

In FUTURE the rising socioeconomic inequality in health in Albania should

be addressed.

Increasing odds of chronic illness

Caldwell, J.C., 1986 - Routes to Low Mortality in Poor Countries Population and Development Review Vol. 12, No. 2 (Jun., 1986), pp. 171-220 Published by: Population Council; Gjonça, Arjan 2001 - Communism, health and lifestyle: the paradox of mortality transition in Albania, 1950-1990 Studies in population and urban demography (8). Greenwood Press, Westport, CT. ISBN 97803133158; INSTAT 2004 - Migration in Albania, 2001 Population and Housing Census; Kapaj, A.M & Kapaj I., - 2012 - Olive Oil Sector in Albania and Its Perspective in Boskou, D., (eds) Olive Oil - Constituents, Quality, Health Properties and Bioconversions, published by InTech; World Bank 2002 - Livings Standards Measurement Survey 2002; World Bank 2008 - Living Standards Measurement Survey 2008; World Bank Data Catalog 2013 - http://datacatalog.worldbank.org/

Predicted Probability of Reporting Chronic Illness by Education and Region, 2002 and 2008

Predicted Probability of Reporting Chronic Illness by Income and Region, 2002 and 2008

No regional differences in reporting a chronic illness, 2008