Box 2.

Recommended quantitative policy targets

Targets relating to socioeconomic disadvantage

• Percentage of children from lower social class families who enter secondary education to be increased from 12% in 1989 to ⩾25% by 2020
• Income inequalities in the Netherlands to be maintained at the level of 1996 (Gini coefficient=0.24)
• Percentage of households with an income below 105% of the “social minimum” to be reduced from 10.6% in 1998 to ⩽8% by 2020

Targets to reduce effects of health on socioeconomic disadvantage

• Disability benefit for total work incapacity due to occupational health problems to be maintained at the level in 2000
• Percentage of chronically ill people aged 25-64 who are in paid employment to be increased from 48% in 1995 to ⩾57% by 2020

Targets related to factors mediating the effect of socioeconomic disadvantage on health

• Difference in smoking between those with lower and those with higher education to be halved, by decreasing the percentage of smokers among those with only primary school education, from over 38% in 1998 to ⩽32% by 2020
• Difference in physical inactivity between those with lower and those with higher education to be halved, by decreasing the percentage of the physically inactive among those with only primary school education, from over 57% in 1994 to ⩽49% by 2020
• Difference in obesity between those with lower and those with higher education to be halved, by decreasing the percentage of obese persons among those with only primary school education, from over 15% in 1998 to ⩽9% by 2020
• Difference between lower and higher education groups in percentage of those engaged in heavy physical labour to be halved, by decreasing the proportion of people with complaints resulting from physical labour among those with primary school education only, from 53% in 1999 to ⩽43% by 2020
• Difference in control in the workplace between those with lower and those with higher education to be halved, by increasing the percentage of persons who control the execution of their work among those with only primary school education from 58% in 1999 to ⩾68% by 2020

Targets related to accessibility and quality of healthcare services

• Differences in use of healthcare facilities (consultation with GPs, medical specialists, and dentists; hospital admissions; prescribed drugs) between lower and higher education groups to be maintained at the level in 1998