Social, digital, and educational inequalities as determinants of health : evidence from four national contexts in Europe and Latin America

Čehovin Zajc, Jožica (author), Díaz-Oviedo, Aracely (author), Gogova, Tina (author), Milavec Kapun, Marija (author)

Background: Health inequalities are shaped by broader social, digital and educational disparities. Examining their interconnections is essential for understanding structural determinants of health across different socioeconomic contexts. Aim: To analyse how health inequalities are intertwined with social, digital, and educational inequalities in diverse national settings. Methods: Comparable secondary statistical indicators of social, digital, educational, and health inequalities were analysed for Mexico, El Salvador, Slovenia, and Croatia. An Erasmus+ educational project was examined as an illustrative intervention addressing multilevel inequalities. Results: Marked socioeconomic and digital disparities were observed in Latin America and Europe, reflected in weaker social protection, limited digital infrastructure, lower educational attainment, and poorer health. These domains are structurally interconnected and mutually reinforcing across the life course. The project case suggests that strengthening digital competencies and active learning in nursing education may enhance professional empowerment and support more equitable health engagement. Conclusion: Health inequalities are embedded in multidimensional structural conditions. Addressing social protection, education, and digital access is central to reducing persistent health disparities and advancing health equity.

• Language: English
• Keywords: cross-cultural comparison, educational status, health disparities, internet access, nursing education, socioeconomic factors
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FDV - Faculty of Social Sciences; ZF - Faculty of Health Sciences
• Publication status: In print
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: 8 str.
• Numbering: Vol. , no.
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-187368
• UDC: 316.344:613
• ISSN on article: 1804-7122
• DOI: 10.32725/kont.2026.054
• COBISS.SI-ID: 290659331
• Publication date in RUL: 10.09.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Kontakt
• Shortened title: Kontakt
• Publisher: Jihočeská univerzita v Českých Budějovicích, Zdravotně sociální fakulta
• ISSN: 1804-7122
• COBISS.SI-ID: 528918553

Licences

• License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
• Description: The most restrictive Creative Commons license. This only allows people to download and share the work for no commercial gain and for no other purposes.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: zdravje, družbena neenakost

Projects

• Funder: Other - Other funder or multiple funders
• Funding programme: Erasmus+
• Project number: U0003
• Name: SmartNurse – Developing Teachers’ and Nursing Students’ Competencies in Digital Nursing

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: P5-0193
• Name: Analiza dela, izobraževanja in zaposlovanja