Objectives: Social policies help people to overcome various unfavourable living situations, such as unemployment, which may lead to health inequalities. The aim of this study is to examine how adults and children perceive the impact of social policies connected to unemployment on well-being in the household, and whether their views differ.
Methods: We obtained data from 123 stakeholders in Slovakia, 96 adults and 27 children aged 11-15 years. We used concept mapping, based on qualitative data collection and quantitative data analysis.
Results: We obtained four clusters related to: children and education; current workforce; disadvantaged groups; labour office support. Adults rated the current workforce as the most important and urgent, and children the disadvantaged groups. Contrasts were largest on the disadvantaged groups and on combining family life and working abroad which children rated as very important and urgent but adults less so.
Conclusions: Stakeholders had many perceptions, which may help to improve social policies. Adults were more concerned about work, and children were more so about inequalities. In general, adults were more practical and individualistic, and children, more emphatic and idealistic.
Keywords: Concept mapping; Health inequalities; Social policies; Unemployment.