Utility of data from a national health survey: Do socioeconomic inequalities in morbidity exist in Serbia?

Abstract

Aims: The aim of this study was to analyse the impact of demographic and socioeconomic factors on morbidity in Serbia. Additionally, knowing that there is no a gold standard for measuring morbidity we were concerned whether the results of this study depend on the choice of morbidity indicator. Methods: Data from the 2006 National Health Survey for Serbia were used. A representative sample of 14,522 persons aged ≥20 years were interviewed. The associations between demographic factors (age, gender, marital status, and type of settlement), socioeconomic indicators (education and wealth index), and health status (morbidity index derived from self-reported data) were examined using linear and logistic regression analyses. Results: Women, elderly people, those who live in urban settings, and those with lower education had higher morbidity regardless of using a morbidity index as a continuous variable (composite index ranging from 0 to 20) or a categorical variable (morbidity status tertiles). Respondents who belong to the most deprived group had higher scores of morbidity index in comparison with the respondents from the most affluent group, but no significant association was found when morbidity status was examined as the outcome. In addition, when those who belong to the middle class group were compared to the most affluent group, they had good more frequently than average morbidity status. Conclusions: This study suggests that demographic and socioeconomic inequalities in morbidity exist in Serbia. Wise and comprehensive health policies and interventions for reducing these inequalities are urgently needed which primarily focus on the most disadvantaged socioeconomic groups.