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Mirza Balaj

Mirza Balaj

CHAIN Scientific coordinator
Department of Sociology and Political Science
Faculty of Social and Educational Sciences

mirza.balaj@ntnu.no
+4773591716 Bygg 9, Dragvoll
About Publications Media

About

Mirza Balaj holds a PhD in Sociology. She is the Research Coordinator of Centre for Global Health Inequalities Research (CHAIN). The mission of CHAIN is to create a global transformation in actionable health inequalities research. Dr. Balaj has been contributing to this mission over the last 7 years through data collection from all world regions, research, recommendation to national and international policymaking bodies and dissemination to the larger public. Her research interest is to explore how health outcomes are shaped by the interaction of socioeconomic position and social structural forces. Currently in her research she is exploring the association between education and mortality globally.  The aim is to provide the first systematic global evidence on the impact education on all-cause and cause-specific mortality including COVID-19 mortality. Her research is published in leading journals such as The Lancet, Sociology of Health and Illness, Social Theory and Health and European Journal of Public Health.

 

 

Publications

  • Chronological
  • By category
  • See all publications in Cristin

2023

  • Huijts, Tim; Witvliet, Margot I.; Balaj, Mirza; Eikemo, Terje Andreas. (2023) Assessing the long-term health impact of COVID-19: The importance of using self-reported health measures. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health
    Editorial
  • Kopasker, Daniel; Katikireddi, Srinivasa Vittal; Vasco Santos, João; Richiardi, Matteo; Bronka, Patryk; Rostila, Mikael. (2023) Microsimulation as a flexible tool to evaluate policies and their impact on socioeconomic inequalities in health. The Lancet Regional Health - Europe
    Academic article
  • Andrade, Carlos Alexandre Soares; Mahrouseh, Nour; Gabrani, Jonila; Charalampous, Periklis; Cuschieri, Sarah; Grad, Diana Alecsandra. (2023) Inequalities in the burden of non-communicable diseases across European countries: a systematic analysis of the Global Burden of Disease 2019 study. International Journal for Equity in Health
    Academic article
  • Mosquera, Isabel; Todd, Adam; Balaj, Mirza; Zhang, Li; Benitez Majano, Sara; Mensah, Keitly. (2023) Components and effectiveness of patient navigation programmes to increase participation to breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening: A systematic review. Cancer Medicine
    Academic literature review

2022

  • Friedman, Joseph; Balaj, Mirza; Islam, Nazrul; Gu, Youyang; Nahmia, Petra; Santamaría-Ulloa, Carolina. (2022) Inequalities in COVID-19 mortality: defining a global research agenda. Bulletin of the World Health Organization
    Academic article
  • Beck, Kathryn Christine; Balaj, Mirza; Donadello, Lorena; Mohammad, Talal; Vonen, Hanne Dahl; Degail, Claire. (2022) Educational inequalities in adult mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the Asia Pacific region. BMJ Open
    Academic article
  • Balaj, Mirza; Eikemo, Terje Andreas. (2022) Sick of social status: A Bourdieusian perspective on morbidity and health inequalities. Sociology of Health and Illness
    Academic article
  • York, Hunter Wade; Balaj, Mirza; Sripada, Kam; Gakidou, Emmanuela; Eikemo, Terje Andreas. (2022) Understanding the social determinants of health – Authors' reply. The Lancet
    Letter to the editor
  • Timar, Eszter; Gromada, Anna; Rees, Gwyther; Carraro, Alessandro; Richardson, Dominic; Olsson, E. Gunilla A. (2022) Places and Spaces: Environments and children’s well-being, UNICEF Innocenti Report Card 17. UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti
    Report

2021

  • Balaj, Mirza; York, Hunter Wade; Sripada, Kam; Besnier, Elodie; Vonen, Hanne Dahl; Aravkin, Aleksandr Y. (2021) Parental education and inequalities in child mortality: a global systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet
    Academic literature review
  • Bimpong, Kweku; Thomson, Katie; McNamara, Courtney L.; Balaj, Mirza; Akhter, Nasima; Bambra, Clare. (2021) The Gender Pain Gap: gender inequalities in pain across 19 European countries. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health
    Academic article
  • Friedman, Joseph; Calderon-Villarreal, Alhelí; Heggebø, Kristian; Balaj, Mirza; Bambra, Clare; Eikemo, Terje Andreas. (2021) COVID-19 and the Nordic Paradox: a call to measure the inequality reducing benefits of welfare systems in the wake of the pandemic. Social Science and Medicine
    Academic article
  • Balaj, Mirza. (2021) Chapter 38: Albania . Oxford University Press
    Chapter

2020

  • Balaj, Mirza. (2020) Self-reported health and the social body. Social Theory & Health
    Academic article

2019

  • Todd, Adam; McNamara, Courtney L.; Balaj, Mirza; Huijts, Tim; Akhter, Nasima; Thomson, Katie. (2019) The Europain Epidemic: pain prevalence and socioeconomic inequalities in pain across 19 European countries. European Journal of Pain
    Academic article
  • Thomson, Katie; Hillier-Brown, Frances; Walton, Nick; Balaj, Mirza; Bambra, Clare; Todd, Adam. (2019) The effects of community pharmacy-delivered public health interventions on population health and health inequalities: A review of reviews. Preventive Medicine
    Academic literature review

2017

  • Fjær, Erlend Løvø; Balaj, Mirza; Stornes, Per Gunnar; Todd, Adam; McNamara, Courtney L.; Eikemo, Terje Andreas. (2017) Exploring the differences in general practitioner and health care specialist utilization according to education, occupation, income and social networks across Europe: findings from the European social survey (2014) special module on the social determinants of health. European Journal of Public Health
    Academic literature review
  • Balaj, Mirza; Huijts, Tim; McNamara, Courtney L.; Stornes, Per Gunnar; Bambra, Clare; Eikemo, Terje Andreas. (2017) Non-communicable diseases and the social determinants of health in the Nordic countries: Findings from the European Social Survey (2014) special module on the social determinants of health. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health
    Academic article
  • McNamara, Courtney L.; Balaj, Mirza; Thomson, Katie H.; Eikemo, Terje Andreas; Bambra, Clare. (2017) The contribution of housing and neighbourhood conditions to educational inequalities in non-communicable diseases in Europe: findings from the European Social Survey (2014) special module on the social determinants of health. European Journal of Public Health
    Academic literature review
  • Beckfield, Jason; Balaj, Mirza; McNamara, Courtney L.; Huijts, Tim; Bambra, Clare; Eikemo, Terje Andreas. (2017) The health of European populations: introduction to the special supplement on the 2014 European Social Survey (ESS) rotating module on the social determinants of health. European Journal of Public Health
    Academic literature review
  • Hillier-Brown, Frances; Bambra, Clare; Thomson, Katie; Balaj, Mirza; Walton, Nick; Todd, Adam. (2017) The effects of community pharmacy public health interventions on population health and health inequalities: A systematic review of reviews protocol. Systematic Reviews
    Academic article
  • Balaj, Mirza; McNamara, Courtney L.; Eikemo, Terje Andreas; Bambra, Clare. (2017) The social determinants of inequalities in self-reported health in Europe: findings from the European social survey (2014) special module on the social determinants of health. European Journal of Public Health
    Academic literature review
  • McNamara, Courtney L.; Balaj, Mirza; Thomson, Katie H.; Eikemo, Terje Andreas; Solheim, Erling; Bambra, Clare. (2017) The socioeconomic distribution of non-communicable diseases in Europe: findings from the European Social Survey (2014) special module on the social determinants of health. European Journal of Public Health
    Academic literature review
  • McNamara, Courtney L.; Toch-Marquardt, Marlen; Balaj, Mirza; Reibling, Nadine; Eikemo, Terje Andreas; Bambra, Clare. (2017) Occupational inequalities in self-rated health and non-communicable diseases in different regions of Europe: findings from the European Social Survey (2014) special module on the social determinants of health. European Journal of Public Health
    Academic article
  • Bøe, Tormod; Balaj, Mirza; Eikemo, Terje Andreas; McNamara, Courtney L.; Solheim, Erling. (2017) Financial difficulties in childhood and adult depression in Europe. European Journal of Public Health
    Academic literature review
  • Eikemo, Terje Andreas; Balaj, Mirza. (2017) CHAIN – a new centre for the international study of socioeconomic inequalities in health. EuroHealthNet Magazine
    Popular scientific article

2016

  • Eikemo, Terje Andreas; Huijts, Tim; Bambra, C; McNamara, Courtney L.; Stornes, Per Gunnar; Balaj, Mirza. (2016) Social Inequalities in Health and their Determinants: Topline Results from Round 7 of the European Social Survey. European Social Survey (ERIC)
    Report
  • Eikemo, Terje Andreas; Huijts, Timothy Hubertus Maria; Bambra, Clare; McNamara, Courtney L.; Stornes, Per Gunnar; Balaj, Mirza. (2016) Social Inequalities in Health and their Determinants: Topline Findings from Round 7 of the European Social Survey. European Social Survey ERIC
    Report

Journal publications

  • Huijts, Tim; Witvliet, Margot I.; Balaj, Mirza; Eikemo, Terje Andreas. (2023) Assessing the long-term health impact of COVID-19: The importance of using self-reported health measures. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health
    Editorial
  • Kopasker, Daniel; Katikireddi, Srinivasa Vittal; Vasco Santos, João; Richiardi, Matteo; Bronka, Patryk; Rostila, Mikael. (2023) Microsimulation as a flexible tool to evaluate policies and their impact on socioeconomic inequalities in health. The Lancet Regional Health - Europe
    Academic article
  • Andrade, Carlos Alexandre Soares; Mahrouseh, Nour; Gabrani, Jonila; Charalampous, Periklis; Cuschieri, Sarah; Grad, Diana Alecsandra. (2023) Inequalities in the burden of non-communicable diseases across European countries: a systematic analysis of the Global Burden of Disease 2019 study. International Journal for Equity in Health
    Academic article
  • Mosquera, Isabel; Todd, Adam; Balaj, Mirza; Zhang, Li; Benitez Majano, Sara; Mensah, Keitly. (2023) Components and effectiveness of patient navigation programmes to increase participation to breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening: A systematic review. Cancer Medicine
    Academic literature review
  • Friedman, Joseph; Balaj, Mirza; Islam, Nazrul; Gu, Youyang; Nahmia, Petra; Santamaría-Ulloa, Carolina. (2022) Inequalities in COVID-19 mortality: defining a global research agenda. Bulletin of the World Health Organization
    Academic article
  • Beck, Kathryn Christine; Balaj, Mirza; Donadello, Lorena; Mohammad, Talal; Vonen, Hanne Dahl; Degail, Claire. (2022) Educational inequalities in adult mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the Asia Pacific region. BMJ Open
    Academic article
  • Balaj, Mirza; Eikemo, Terje Andreas. (2022) Sick of social status: A Bourdieusian perspective on morbidity and health inequalities. Sociology of Health and Illness
    Academic article
  • York, Hunter Wade; Balaj, Mirza; Sripada, Kam; Gakidou, Emmanuela; Eikemo, Terje Andreas. (2022) Understanding the social determinants of health – Authors' reply. The Lancet
    Letter to the editor
  • Balaj, Mirza; York, Hunter Wade; Sripada, Kam; Besnier, Elodie; Vonen, Hanne Dahl; Aravkin, Aleksandr Y. (2021) Parental education and inequalities in child mortality: a global systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet
    Academic literature review
  • Bimpong, Kweku; Thomson, Katie; McNamara, Courtney L.; Balaj, Mirza; Akhter, Nasima; Bambra, Clare. (2021) The Gender Pain Gap: gender inequalities in pain across 19 European countries. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health
    Academic article
  • Friedman, Joseph; Calderon-Villarreal, Alhelí; Heggebø, Kristian; Balaj, Mirza; Bambra, Clare; Eikemo, Terje Andreas. (2021) COVID-19 and the Nordic Paradox: a call to measure the inequality reducing benefits of welfare systems in the wake of the pandemic. Social Science and Medicine
    Academic article
  • Balaj, Mirza. (2020) Self-reported health and the social body. Social Theory & Health
    Academic article
  • Todd, Adam; McNamara, Courtney L.; Balaj, Mirza; Huijts, Tim; Akhter, Nasima; Thomson, Katie. (2019) The Europain Epidemic: pain prevalence and socioeconomic inequalities in pain across 19 European countries. European Journal of Pain
    Academic article
  • Thomson, Katie; Hillier-Brown, Frances; Walton, Nick; Balaj, Mirza; Bambra, Clare; Todd, Adam. (2019) The effects of community pharmacy-delivered public health interventions on population health and health inequalities: A review of reviews. Preventive Medicine
    Academic literature review
  • Fjær, Erlend Løvø; Balaj, Mirza; Stornes, Per Gunnar; Todd, Adam; McNamara, Courtney L.; Eikemo, Terje Andreas. (2017) Exploring the differences in general practitioner and health care specialist utilization according to education, occupation, income and social networks across Europe: findings from the European social survey (2014) special module on the social determinants of health. European Journal of Public Health
    Academic literature review
  • Balaj, Mirza; Huijts, Tim; McNamara, Courtney L.; Stornes, Per Gunnar; Bambra, Clare; Eikemo, Terje Andreas. (2017) Non-communicable diseases and the social determinants of health in the Nordic countries: Findings from the European Social Survey (2014) special module on the social determinants of health. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health
    Academic article
  • McNamara, Courtney L.; Balaj, Mirza; Thomson, Katie H.; Eikemo, Terje Andreas; Bambra, Clare. (2017) The contribution of housing and neighbourhood conditions to educational inequalities in non-communicable diseases in Europe: findings from the European Social Survey (2014) special module on the social determinants of health. European Journal of Public Health
    Academic literature review
  • Beckfield, Jason; Balaj, Mirza; McNamara, Courtney L.; Huijts, Tim; Bambra, Clare; Eikemo, Terje Andreas. (2017) The health of European populations: introduction to the special supplement on the 2014 European Social Survey (ESS) rotating module on the social determinants of health. European Journal of Public Health
    Academic literature review
  • Hillier-Brown, Frances; Bambra, Clare; Thomson, Katie; Balaj, Mirza; Walton, Nick; Todd, Adam. (2017) The effects of community pharmacy public health interventions on population health and health inequalities: A systematic review of reviews protocol. Systematic Reviews
    Academic article
  • Balaj, Mirza; McNamara, Courtney L.; Eikemo, Terje Andreas; Bambra, Clare. (2017) The social determinants of inequalities in self-reported health in Europe: findings from the European social survey (2014) special module on the social determinants of health. European Journal of Public Health
    Academic literature review
  • McNamara, Courtney L.; Balaj, Mirza; Thomson, Katie H.; Eikemo, Terje Andreas; Solheim, Erling; Bambra, Clare. (2017) The socioeconomic distribution of non-communicable diseases in Europe: findings from the European Social Survey (2014) special module on the social determinants of health. European Journal of Public Health
    Academic literature review
  • McNamara, Courtney L.; Toch-Marquardt, Marlen; Balaj, Mirza; Reibling, Nadine; Eikemo, Terje Andreas; Bambra, Clare. (2017) Occupational inequalities in self-rated health and non-communicable diseases in different regions of Europe: findings from the European Social Survey (2014) special module on the social determinants of health. European Journal of Public Health
    Academic article
  • Bøe, Tormod; Balaj, Mirza; Eikemo, Terje Andreas; McNamara, Courtney L.; Solheim, Erling. (2017) Financial difficulties in childhood and adult depression in Europe. European Journal of Public Health
    Academic literature review
  • Eikemo, Terje Andreas; Balaj, Mirza. (2017) CHAIN – a new centre for the international study of socioeconomic inequalities in health. EuroHealthNet Magazine
    Popular scientific article

Part of book/report

  • Balaj, Mirza. (2021) Chapter 38: Albania . Oxford University Press
    Chapter

Report

  • Timar, Eszter; Gromada, Anna; Rees, Gwyther; Carraro, Alessandro; Richardson, Dominic; Olsson, E. Gunilla A. (2022) Places and Spaces: Environments and children’s well-being, UNICEF Innocenti Report Card 17. UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti
    Report
  • Eikemo, Terje Andreas; Huijts, Tim; Bambra, C; McNamara, Courtney L.; Stornes, Per Gunnar; Balaj, Mirza. (2016) Social Inequalities in Health and their Determinants: Topline Results from Round 7 of the European Social Survey. European Social Survey (ERIC)
    Report
  • Eikemo, Terje Andreas; Huijts, Timothy Hubertus Maria; Bambra, Clare; McNamara, Courtney L.; Stornes, Per Gunnar; Balaj, Mirza. (2016) Social Inequalities in Health and their Determinants: Topline Findings from Round 7 of the European Social Survey. European Social Survey ERIC
    Report

Media

2023

  • Academic lecture
    Balaj, Mirza; Eikemo, Terje Andreas. (2023) Equity in Cancer Screening. International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) CanScreen ECIS , Brussels 2023-12-05 - 2023-12-05

2022

  • Academic lecture
    Balaj, Mirza; Heggebø, Kristian; Huijts, Timothy Hubertus Maria; Bambra, Clare; Eikemo, Terje Andreas. (2022) The Second Pan-European Sociological Health Inequalities Survey of the General Population: The European Social Survey Round 11 Rotating Module on the Social Determinants of Health. University of Bologna European Society for Health and Medical Sociology , Forli 2022-08-25 - 2022-08-27
  • Academic lecture
    Baravelli, Carl Michael; Eikemo, Terje Andreas; Klitkou, Søren Toksvig; Kinge, Jonas Minet; Clarsen, Benjamin Matthew; Bølling, Anette Kocbach. (2022) Using individual-level stratification as an approach to integrating social inequalities into the burden of disease. European Public Health Association (EUPHA) 2022-11-11 - 2022-11-11
  • Interview
    Eikemo, Terje Andreas; Solhaug, Solvor; Balaj, Mirza. (2022) Hvem døde av covid-19?. Gemini Gemini [Business/trade/industry journal] 2022-12-20

2020

  • Lecture
    Balaj, Mirza. (2020) Social inequalities in cancer and cancer screening. IARC CanScreen5 - CELAC 2020-03-21 - 2020-03-21
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