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Background: The connection between socio-economic status and health is documented, yet not fully understood. The goal of this research was to analyze the relationship between socio-economic status, lifestyle and health status, availability of health-care, social capital, and satisfaction with life. Subjects and methods: Subjects were 1117 women aged 25-65 years divided in two groups. Group 1 consisted of women who receive public assistance (N1=591), while Group 2 consisted of women who do not (N2=526). The sample was stratified by random choice into multiple stages based on six regions of Croatia, residential area size, and the age of respondents. Visiting nurses surveyed the deprived population, while in Group 2 self-interviewing was conducted. A questionnaire entitled “Inequalities in health” was used. The respondents participated in this research voluntarily and anonymously. Results: Socially deprived women consume spirits and wine more often (p<0.001). There is no difference between groups regarding tobacco consummation. Working women perform significantly less strenuous physical tasks (p<0.001). Deprived women are significantly less engaged in physical activities (p<0.001). Health conditions in deprived women more commonly limit their physical activity (p<0.001). There is a significant difference in utilization of health-care among groups (p<0.001). Younger women who are married, with a higher number of household members, a larger income, and with higher education are generally more satisfied with life (p<0.001). Although deprived women are significantly less satisfied with their lives, feel less free, are less physically active, and less likely to consume spirits or beer, they are significantly happier than working women (p<0.001). Conclusions: Personal health status and lifestyle, access to health-care services, and life satisfaction have a high importance as predictors and protective factors of mental health in women - recipients of state-provided financial

Aim To compare the results of a series of public opinion surveys on experiences with the health care sector in Croatia conducted in the time of elections and to analyze whether political party affiliation had any influence on issues of priority ranking. Methods The surveys were conducted during 2005, 2007, and 2009. They were administered through a Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing method to representative samples of Croatian population and were statistically weighted according to sex, age, level of education, and political party affiliation. The random sampling of the person within the household was done using the table of random numbers. Results Health and health care system was the most important issue (58%) during the 2007 parliamentary election and the second most important issue during the 2005 and 2009 elections (46% and 28%). In the 2007 election, health care was viewed as most important by women, respondents with lower education levels, and respondents with lower income. In 2005, the most important health care issues were corruption and lack of funding (45% and 43%, respectively), in 2007 poor organization and lack of funding (43% and 42%, respectively), and in 2009 lack of funding and corruption (51% and 45%, respectively). Conclusion Health and health care system were consistently among the top two issues in all elections from 2005 to 2009. The top three most important health care sector issues were corruption, poor organization, and lack of funding. This indicates that political parties should include solutions to these issues in their health care policymaking.

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<0.001, t test). U samoprocjeni zdravlja domaćice su imale niži indeks na Mental Component Summary (MCS) ljestvici (40.28±12.5 vs 42.96±12.4, P<0.001, t test). Slabijom su procjenjivale i kvalitetu svojega života (40.28±12.5 vs 42.96±12.4, P<0.001, t test). Značajno rjeđe su obavljale regularne preglede dojki u godini koja je prethodila anketi (7.5% vs 13.6%, χ2=18.0350, P<0.001), ali druge oblike pregleda, uključivši i općemedicinske, obavljale su jednako redovito kao umirovljenice. Zaključak Domaćice se od umirovljenica razlikuju u objektivnim i subjektivnim mjerama zdravstvenog stanja, korištenju zdravstvenim uslugama i samoprocjeni kvalitete života. To treba držati na umu pri odgovarajućem javnozdravstvenom planiranju., 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<0.001, t test). On self health assessment, housewives had lower index on Mental Component Summary (MCS) (40.28 ± 12.5 vs 42.96 ± 12.4, P<0.001, t test).They also had lower self-assessed quality of life (40.28 ± 12.5 vs 42.96 ± 12.4, P<0.001, t test). Housewives performed regular breast check-ups significantly less often in the 12 months before the survey (7.5% vs 13.6%, χ2 = 18.0350, P<0.001), but they performed other forms of medical examinations, including general physical check-ups as often as retired women. Conclusion Housewives differed from retired women of the same age in objective and subjective measures of health status, use of health care services, self perceived health, and self-assessed quality of life. These differences should be taken into account when planning public health measures for these age groups of women.