Socioeconomic status and perceived health-related quality of life in Chile
Date
2017
Type:
Artículo
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6
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Publisher
Medical Education Cooperation with Cuba
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION Changes in the conceptualization of health and illness have led to development of
theory and methods to study healthrelated quality of life. One instrument used frequently to
measure this concept is the SF-12 survey, included in the Second National Health Survey carried out
in Chile between 2009 and 2010. OBJECTIVE Estimate the association between socioeconomic status
stratifi ers and health-related quality of life in the adult population residing in Chile. METHODS We
conducted a cross-sectional study of a subsample of the National Health Survey, in the population
aged ≥25 years. Healthrelated quality of life was operationalized from two SF-12 composite scales:
physical health-related quality of life and mental health-related quality of life. Both were
categorized as good or poor relative to their median scores. Socioeconomic status stratifi ers were
education, employment status and monthly per capita household income. Multiple logistic
regression models were generated for physical health-related quality of life and mental healthrelated
quality of life, according to socioeconomic status stratifi ers adjusted for several covariates.
RESULTS The sample comprised 4473 respondents, 51.6% women, median age 47.8 years. The
probability of poor quality of life was higher in persons with only primary school education, those
not in the workforce and those whose monthly income was below 100,815 Chilean pesos (US$140);
the effect was stronger for physical healthrelated quality of life (OR 2.8, 95% CI 1.8–4.2; OR 1.7, 95%
CI 1.2–2.3 and OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.3–3.8, respectively) than for mental healthrelated quality of life (OR
1.4, 95% CI 1.1–1.8; OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.2–2.2 and OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.1–3.0, respectively). CONCLUSIONS
The probability of poor health-related quality of life is higher in the worst socioeconomic status
strata, and the effect is most pronounced in the most vulnerable groups. The direct effect of social
stratifi ers on living conditions and access to services—both strong infl uences on subjective health—
would explain this fi nding and highlight the need to adopt equity-oriented strategies aimed at
addressing the impact of socioeconomic status on health-related quality of life.
Description
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Citation
Matute, Isabel, Soledad Burgos, and Tania Alfaro. "Socioeconomic status and perceived health-related quality of life in Chile." MEDICC Review 19 (2017): 51-56.
Keywords
Health-related quality of life, socioeconomic factors, social class, health status disparities, inequalities, health equity, health disparities, social determinants of health, Chile