What influences pensioners to use social protection services?

Abstract

Introduction/Aim. Ageing is a natural phase in the life of every individual, and it is correlated to life changes like retirement when the active working life of a person is ending and is compensated for with sources of income that do not have to be earned by working, which is called pension. The aim of this study was to analyze the use of social services among the retired population and examine the factors associated with the use of social care. Material and Methods. This cross-sectional study is a secondary analysis of the data collected in a study conducted by the Union of pension holders of Serbia which was done on a convenient sample of retirees. An anonymous written questionnaire was designed for this specific research. Univariate and multivariate statistic regression were used to analyze the factors associated with the use of social services. Results. Only 6.5% of retirees use some social protection services. Older age, living alone, lower level of education, and not having a mobile phone or computer significantly decrease the probability of using social protection services. Besides, spending time with friends and family significantly decreases the likelihood of using some social protection services. Conclusion. Work in the field of health education is of utmost importance, especially spreading the knowledge about health-related, psychological, and social aspects of ageing in order to overcome stereotypes, prejudices and misunderstandings of this stage of life.