
This study aims to investigate health inequalities in the city of Milan, making use of two complementary theoretical frameworks, namely the fundamental causes theory and the intersectionality theory. Relying on administrative healthcare data, we examined the social gradient in relation to several health outcomes, comparing the results from the traditional “additive” approach with those from the “multiplicative” approach. We examined the association between socioeconomic status, gender, and citizenship on one side, and health outcomes on the other. The results confirm the presence of a social gradient in health conditions, highlighting distinct health risks according to each pathology and to the combinations between the three socio-demographic indicators. The analysis carried out confirms the methodological usefulness of the joint application of the two theoretical frameworks, providing relevant clues regarding the development of interventions aimed at promoting public health. Keywords: health inequalities; social determinants of health; intersectionality theory; fundamental causes theory; social gradient; social epidemiology.