Socio-Economic Determinants of Health in Croatia: Insights from Four Cross-Sectional Surveys

The World Health Organization (WHO) sees health as a resource for everyday life, a fundamental human right and, especially important for economists and social scientists, an essential component of the economic and social development of every modern society. Health determinants which could lead to be...

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Main Authors: Šime Smolić, Ivan Čipin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: The Institute of Economics, Zagreb 2013-04-01
Series:Croatian Economic Survey
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=147823
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author Šime Smolić
Ivan Čipin
author_facet Šime Smolić
Ivan Čipin
author_sort Šime Smolić
collection DOAJ
description The World Health Organization (WHO) sees health as a resource for everyday life, a fundamental human right and, especially important for economists and social scientists, an essential component of the economic and social development of every modern society. Health determinants which could lead to better health outcomes can arise from both the social and economic side. The main goal of this paper is to exploit several cross-sectional socio-economic data sets available in Croatia to examine the extent to which individual health is related to certain demographic and economic determinants. In explaining health determinants, self-assessed health (SAH) was used as a measure of health on the individual level, and the proportional odds model was applied for the ordinal outcome variable. Controlling for age and other socio-demographic characteristics, education was seen as the single most important determinant of better health. Poor health on the individual level is probably highly correlated with low education and lowest income levels. Public policy-makers should be aware that measures targeted at vulnerable population subgroups might be effective at improving health in the population. However, the identification of a causal relationship between health outcome and its determinants is of crucial importance in the design of future policies.
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spelling doaj.art-2f77de331dbe4cd39ada67a76c76ab9f2022-12-21T17:58:33ZengThe Institute of Economics, ZagrebCroatian Economic Survey1330-48601846-38782013-04-011512560Socio-Economic Determinants of Health in Croatia: Insights from Four Cross-Sectional SurveysŠime SmolićIvan ČipinThe World Health Organization (WHO) sees health as a resource for everyday life, a fundamental human right and, especially important for economists and social scientists, an essential component of the economic and social development of every modern society. Health determinants which could lead to better health outcomes can arise from both the social and economic side. The main goal of this paper is to exploit several cross-sectional socio-economic data sets available in Croatia to examine the extent to which individual health is related to certain demographic and economic determinants. In explaining health determinants, self-assessed health (SAH) was used as a measure of health on the individual level, and the proportional odds model was applied for the ordinal outcome variable. Controlling for age and other socio-demographic characteristics, education was seen as the single most important determinant of better health. Poor health on the individual level is probably highly correlated with low education and lowest income levels. Public policy-makers should be aware that measures targeted at vulnerable population subgroups might be effective at improving health in the population. However, the identification of a causal relationship between health outcome and its determinants is of crucial importance in the design of future policies.http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=147823self-assessed healthagegendereducational levelincomeCroatia
spellingShingle Šime Smolić
Ivan Čipin
Socio-Economic Determinants of Health in Croatia: Insights from Four Cross-Sectional Surveys
Croatian Economic Survey
self-assessed health
age
gender
educational level
income
Croatia
title Socio-Economic Determinants of Health in Croatia: Insights from Four Cross-Sectional Surveys
title_full Socio-Economic Determinants of Health in Croatia: Insights from Four Cross-Sectional Surveys
title_fullStr Socio-Economic Determinants of Health in Croatia: Insights from Four Cross-Sectional Surveys
title_full_unstemmed Socio-Economic Determinants of Health in Croatia: Insights from Four Cross-Sectional Surveys
title_short Socio-Economic Determinants of Health in Croatia: Insights from Four Cross-Sectional Surveys
title_sort socio economic determinants of health in croatia insights from four cross sectional surveys
topic self-assessed health
age
gender
educational level
income
Croatia
url http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=147823
work_keys_str_mv AT simesmolic socioeconomicdeterminantsofhealthincroatiainsightsfromfourcrosssectionalsurveys
AT ivancipin socioeconomicdeterminantsofhealthincroatiainsightsfromfourcrosssectionalsurveys