Investigating the Relationship between Social and Economic Inequality and the Health Status of Employed Women

Background & objectives: Women's health is an important indicator for development of countries, because women are more vulnerable than men. Health is not just a biological issue and socioeconomic inequality plays an important role in health outcomes. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to determine the relationship between social and economic inequality and the health status of women. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed on 325 women working in health centers of Rasht, who were selected by cluster random sampling. Data were collected using Women's General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and social and economic inequality measurement questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation and regression analysis. Results: The results showed that there was a significant statistical relationship between social and economic inequality and women health (p<0.001). The predictive power of social and economic inequality was also statistically significant for women health (p<0.001) and 12.6% of employed women health were predicted by social and economic inequality. Conclusion: The findings of the current study indicated the relationship between social and economic inequality and the health of employed women. Women empowerment and social awareness can help reduce the socio-economic inequality of women and increase the health and welfare of the community.