Revista de Saúde Pública (Dec 2012)
Idosos com e sem plano de saúde e características socioepidemiológicas associadas Ancianos con y sin póliza de salud y características socioepidemiológicas asociadas Health insurance coverage of the elderly and socioepidemiological characteristics associated
Abstract
OBJETIVO: Analisar fatores epidemiológicos e sociodemográficos associados à saúde de idosos com ou sem plano de saúde. MÉTODOS: Foram realizadas entrevistas com 2.143 pessoas de 60 anos e mais, no município de São Paulo, em 2000 e 2006. A variável dependente, dicotômica, foi ter ou não plano de saúde. As variáveis independentes abrangeram características sociodemográficas e de condição de saúde. Foram descritas as proporções encontradas para as variáveis analisadas e desenvolvido modelo de regressão logística que considerou significantes as variáveis com p OBJETIVO: Analizar factores epidemiológicos y sociodemográficos asociados a la salud de ancianos con o sin seguro de salud. MÉTODOS: Se realizaron entrevistas con 2.143 personas de 60 años y más, en el municipio de Sao Paulo, en 2000 y 2006. La variable dependiente, dicotómica, fue tener o no póliza de salud. Las variables independientes abarcaron características sociodemográficas y de condición de salud. Se describieron las proporciones encontradas para las variables analizadas y se desarrolló modelo de regresión logística que consideró significantes las variables con p OBJECTIVE: To examine sociodemographic and epidemiological factors associated with private health insurance coverage in the elderly. METHODS: A total of 2,143 individuals aged 60 years or more were interviewed in the city of São Paulo in 2000 and 2006. Having private health insurance was the dichotomous dependent variable. Independent variables included sociodemographic characteristics and self-reported health status. The proportions of the variables studied were described and a logistic regression model considering those variables significant at p < 0.05 was constructed. RESULTS: The elderly with private insurance coverage had significantly higher income and education. The elderly with no private insurance were screened less for cancer and more for respiratory diseases; they waited longer for appointments; they performed less medical tests; they reported fewer conditions and more falls and had a more negative self-rated health. The insured respondents reported lower vaccination rates and, among those hospitalized, 11.1% had their medical costs covered by the Brazilian National Health System (SUS) in 2000 and 17.9% in 2006. Osteoporosis was the single condition associated with private health insurance. CONCLUSIONS: The elderly with private insurance coverage had significantly higher income and education than those with no private coverage, and these differences were associated with service utilization and social determinants of health.
