Name and Surname: assoc. prof. Sabina Ličen, PhD
Links: ARRS 29717
E-mail: sabina.licen@fvz.upr.si

Research facility (research activity location)

Univerza na Primorskem, Fakulteta za vede o zdravju

Research field according to ARRS classification
Science: Medicine
Field: Public Health

Summary of research topic and field

Even though Slovenia is one of the developed countries, there are health disparities in our country as well. Research on health inequalities shows that, in addition to the importance of the welfare state, education, employment, housing and access to health care have a significant impact on the occurrence and extent of various diseases. Different social groups have different experiences that may be due to different material conditions, psychological support, and behavioral patterns, making members of these groups more or less susceptible to disease. When the influence of culture is added, the likelihood of disease increases even more. Culture as such largely determines how members of a society think and feel, because it guides their actions and determines their outlook on life. The culture of a society or social group is shaped by several factors that include race, ethnicity, nationality, language, and gender. In addition, culture can be related to a person’s socioeconomic status, physical or mental abilities, sexual orientation, and the occupation they hold, and can strongly influence their experience of health and health interventions. Although the Universal Declaration of Human Rights speaks of the equality of all people, vulnerable groups continue to experience discrimination, including concerning health and access to health services. These groups may be racial, religious or linguistic minorities within society. In the case of gender, these may be women; in the case of age, older and young people, the disabled, the unemployed, the socially vulnerable, and, because of their sexual orientation, members of the LGBT community.