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There are various predictors of citizens’ satisfaction with health care system, but there are two main political factors: patient participation and institutional influence of their representative organizations, and political party affiliations (1-4). Some authors concluded that socio-demographic characteristics were only a minor predictor of satisfaction with health care system, but older age appeared to be one of the most consistent positive determinants of health care satisfaction (5-13). Women were found to be less satisfied with care than men because they were more frequent users of care and had higher expectations (14,15). Studies in post-communist states provide mixed evidence in this regard. In a 1991 cross-country survey study, most of the respondents believed that, while the market system was essential to economic development, policies that promoted social and economic egalitarianism were important (16). They also found that women, those with lower educational level, and those with lower income were more likely to be supportive of socialist principles. On the other hand, a study conducted in 1999 showed a change in value systems, with a majority of respondents from Poland and Hungary not favoring further redistribution of income, even at the expense of welfare (17). Furthermore, there was a positive correlation between education and positive attitude to health care competition. Still, in Hungary the older generations were predominantly against increases in health care competition. Since the early 1990s, the public level of satisfaction with the health care system reforms in Croatia has not matched the apparent success of the reform goals. A 1994 consumer survey found that a vast majority of lower- and middle-income Croats was skeptical of health care reforms (18). They attributed this to the legacy of universal access to health care, the view of health care access as a universal right, negative consequences on the patients, and lack of public understanding of the reforms. The same study (18) found the distribution of out-of-pocket payments and co-payment for health care to represent a regressive burden on those in the lower income group. Patient satisfaction was also low: 44% were dissatisfied with the quality of health facilities and 48% with the equipment (18). Similar face-to-face interviews found that citizens of Croatia did not hold a positive view of the health insurance reform (19). Their primary concern were limitations of their rights and the increase in the financial burden related to medical care. A 2005 survey found that during the presidential election campaign period health care was the second most important issue on the voters’ minds, closely following economy (20). Finally, a national survey on patients’ satisfaction with hospital and primary health care in 2006 showed considerable concerns with relations between patients and medical professionals, hospital accommodation, communication between primary and secondary health care, and corruption (21,22). In this study, we present and compare the results of a series of public opinions surveys conducted between 2005 and 2009. This is the first study that targeted public experiences and voters’ opinion as an evaluation of the health care sector in Croatia.

Cilj Ispitati povezanost društvene uloge i objektivnog i subjektivnog odnosa prema zdravlju i korištenju zdravstvenih usluga u populaciji žena starijih od 65 godina u Hrvatskoj. Postupci Uporabljeni su podatci Hrvatske zdravstvene ankete (Short Form 36 Health Survey) iz godine 2003. U žena umirovljenica i domaćica starijih od 65 godina analizirane su i uspoređene antropometrijske mjere samoprocjena zdravlja, korištenje zdravstvenih usluga i društvenoekonomsko stanje. Rezultati Krajnji uzorak sastojao se od 791 domaćice i 1151 umirovljenice. Domaćice su imale veći opseg pojasa (98.44±13.9 vs 96.49±13.5, P=0.002, t test) i viši sistolički krvni tlak (152.88±25.2 vs 147.79±22.8, P, Aim To explore the association between the social role and objective and subjective health measures and use of health care services in the population of women older than 65 years in Croatia. Methods We used the data from the 2003 Croatian Adult Health Survey (Short Form 36 Health Survey). Two sub-populations, retired women and housewives aged over 65 years, were analyzed and compared according to anthropometric measures, health self-assessment, utilization of health care services, and socioeconomic status. Results The final sample consisted of 791 housewives and 1151 retired women. Housewives had larger waist circumference (98.44 ± 13.9 vs 96.49 ± 13.5, P = 0.002, t test) and higher systolic blood pressure (152.88 ± 25.2 vs 147.79 ± 22.8, P

Aim: To investigate the importance of issues related to health care provision in the 2005 Presidential elections in Croatia. Methods: A computer randomized, two-stage stratified telephone survey of a 1000 respondents sample of the Croatian voting population was surveyed in December 2004, 5 days prior to Presidential elections. Respondents were asked to rank priority areas in politics and specific priority areas in health care. Only responses from those voters who identified the two most likely candidates were used in analysis: candidates Stipe Mesić and Jadranka Kosor (center left and center right political options). Results were analyzed with chi-square test and binary logistic regression. Results: Citizens ranked health care issues as their second most important priority in politics, preceded only by economic issues. Top three priority areas recognized in health care were organization (24.7%), financing (23.2%) and corruption (24.3%). Ranking of priority areas in health care varied insignificantly between left and right wing candidate voters. However, right wing oriented voters were more likely to identify lack of finances as the top health priority in the multivariable model (Odds ratios 2.21, 95% CI 1.25 - 3.89). There were no other differences between the two candidate groups. Conclusion: Health and health care ranked as the second most important issue in the list of general priorities in Croatia. The study recorded a strikingly high level of homogeneity between specific health care priority areas in the two groups of voters. The phenomenon might be attributed to the magnitude and importance of issues that burden the basic functioning of the health care system: poor organization, inadequate financing and corruption. Public opinion on health care priorities might be a useful tool in determining priorities for policymaking, especially in transitional health care systems undergoing reforms.