Self-rated health among women and their assessment of the health care system

Ule, Mirjana (author), Kurdija, Slavko (author)

Background: This article researches gender inequality in health based on subjective assessments of health, the accessibility of health care services and trust in the health care system between different social categories of women in Slovenia. Methods: The study is based on the Slovenian Public Opinion survey (ISSP Health Module) carried out in 2011 on representative samples of the adult Slovenian population. In the data, we investigated the gender differences and difference between different socio-economic categories within the female sub-sample in self-assessed health, and some other related topics such as: trust in doctors, trust in health care system, access to health care services and attitude to the health care policy in Slovenia. Results: The data shows significant inequalities in self-assessed health between different social strata. Self-assessed health is significantly lower among women at the bottom of the educational and income scale. The data also reveals strong support for the preservation of the available public health. Conclusion: Neoliberal economic reforms (of health care) affect vulnerable social categories the most, and women are particularly exposed. The use of womenʼs unpaid work in the family belongs among the basic (neo)liberal saving strategies. These want to take more care and health work within families from the shoulders of the state and place it onto the shoulders of family members, which mainly means women. In these circumstances, it is understandable that women subjectively assess their health as being worse than menʼs. Moreover, conditions are being established that de facto could lead to worse health in the female population in Slovenia.

• Language: English
• Keywords: samoocena, zdravje, ženske, Slovenija, zdravstveni sistem
• Work type: Not categorized
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FDV - Faculty of Social Sciences
• Year: 2013
• Number of pages: Str. 87-98
• Numbering: Letn. 52, št. 2
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-44456
• UDC: 316.344:614-055.2(497.4)
• ISSN on article: 0351-0026
• DOI: 10.2478/sjph-2013-0011
• COBISS.SI-ID: 2858981
• Publication date in RUL: 10.07.2015

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Zdravstveno varstvo. Slovenian journal of public health
• Publisher: Nacionalni inštitut za javno zdravje, Sciendo
• ISSN: 0351-0026
• COBISS.SI-ID: 3287810

Secondary language

• Language: English
• Title: Samoocena zdravja med ženskami in njihov odnos do zdravstvenega sistema v Sloveniji

Abstract

Izhodišče: Članek raziskuje spolne neenakosti v zdravju na osnovi subjektivnih ocen zdravja, dostopnosti do zdravstvenih storitev ter zaupanja v zdravstveni sistem med različnimi socialnimi kategorijami žensk v Sloveniji. Metode: Analiza temelji na raziskavi Slovensko javno mnenje (ISSP-modul zdravje), ki je bila izvedena v letu 2011 na reprezentativnem vzorcu polnoletnih prebivalcev Slovenije. V analizi smo proučevali razlike med spoloma in razlike med različnimi socialno-ekonomskimi kategorijami žensk v samooceni zdravja ter pri nekaterih drugih sorodnih temah, kot so: zaupanje v zdravnike, zaupanje v zdravstveni sistem, dostop do zdravstvenih storitev in splošen odnos do zdravstvenega sistema v Sloveniji. Rezultati: Podatki kažejo močno povezavo med subjektivno oceno zdravja in socialno-ekonomskim položajem žensk. Slabo telesno in duševno zdravje se povezuje z nizkimi dohodki, nizko stopnjo izobrazbe, nižjimi družbenimi razredi. Podatki kažejo tudi močno podporo ohranjanju dostopnega javnega zdravja, kot ga poznamo v Sloveniji. Zaključki: Neoliberalne ekonomske reforme (zdravstva) najbolj udarijo po ranljivih družbenih kategorijah; ženske so pri tem še posebej izpostavljene. Uporaba neplačanega dela žensk v družini sodi med osnovne neoliberalne varčevalne strategije. Te želijo čim več skrbstvenega in zdravstvenega dela v družinah prevaliti z države na ramena družinskih članov, kar pomeni predvsem žensk. V takšnih okoliščinah je razumljivo slabše subjektivno ocenjevanje zdravja pri ženskah. Še več, gre za vzpostavljanje pogojev, ki tudi realno lahko vodijo v slabše zdravje ženskega prebivalstva v Sloveniji.