Social Inequality as Determinant of Health State, Needs of Health Care and Utilization of Health Care of Population of Serbia

Abstract:     
Rationale: The research of social inequalities as determinantes of health state, health needs and use of health care of population is fundamental in creating and running of the health policy and planning the development health care and health management.

Objectives: The main objective of the present research was to prove the influences of social inequalities on health state, health needs and use of health care in the population of Serbia in period after war and in the period of transition.

Methodology: The research was conducted through the retrospective analytic study of the official statistical data and the undividual sample survey "Health state, needs of health care and utilization of health care of population of Serbia in 2000" involving 11,742 subjects. The instruments of survey were two questionables. In 2006, Institute for Public Health of Serbia will do new survey "Health state, needs of health care and utilization of health care of population of Serbia in 2006" which shows a contitualy work of previously investigation. X2 test was used for represents statistical validity of datas.

Results: The results showed that the alterations in health status, health needs and use of health care were due to the demographic changes, social moblity of the population, and doctrinal positions of the statistical science and practice. Therefore, the number of population, i.e. health care users have increased by 52.5% in the study period. The proportion of population over age of 65 has increased from 5.6% to 12.8%. while of those under 19 it has decreased by 13.0%. The changes were particulary notable in the social mobility of the population. The number of urban population has increased by 2.5 times. The agricultural population has decreased by 4.1 times.

Conclusions: The more rich people, with higher degrees of education, younger and who lives in rural enviroment have better health state and also more possibility of using health care, especially of private sector. It is proved that the social inequalities has influenced to health state, health needs and use of health care of population.

Keywords: Social inequality, health needs, health state

JEL Classification: J13, J14, J15, J16, J17

working papers series