Yoksulluk Olgusu ve Türkiye'de Yoksulluğun ve Çeşitli Faktörlerin Sağlık Statüsü ve Sağlık Hizmetleri Kullanımı Üzerine Etkisi

Abstract

Poverty can be defined as a phenomenon that covers all aspects of human life, such as political and social participation, education, economy, human rights, etc. Poverty negatively affects health status and limits the use of health care. The purpose of this research is to determine the effect of poverty and various socio-demographic and socio-economic factors on the health status and health care utilization in Turkey, and identify the effect of Health Transformation Program on health status and health care utilization. In the research, the indicators of health status and health care utilization were determined from the data of Turkey Demographic and Health Surveys (TNSA 1993-1998-2003-2008-2013), which were suitable for comparison over periods, according to the reference list of the World Health Organization. The length of children according to their age, the prevalence of diarrhea in children, under-five mortality and birth size of the children were selected as the health status indicators. The use of modern contraceptive methods, taking prenatal care and giving birth in health facility were selected as the indicators of health care utilization. Women, who were married as of the date of the research, were taken in the indicator of the use of modern contraceptive methods. The last children born in the last five years before the date of the research were taken for the indicators related to children within the scope of the research. In the result of the study, the factors affecting the length of children, the prevalence of diarrhea in children, under-five mortality and birth size of children were found as household welfare level, age, maternal education level, region and residential area. In the research, it was found that the use of contraceptive methods differed as household welfare level, age, maternal education level, working status, number of living children, region and residential area. Taking prenatal care and giving birth in health facility were affected by household welfare level of women, maternal education level, the order of childbirth, education level of husband, region and residential area. This research suggests that health status indicators improve and the rate of health care utilization increases. However, in the research, it was found that the poor, the people living in the Eastern and rural areas, and those with a low level of education had lower health status and used the health care less. The reduction of poverty is an investment in health as well as other benefits. For this reason, it should be effectively struggled with poverty, emphasizing the methods of direct and indirect struggle with poverty. Besides the general improvement in health status and health care utilization, policies should be improved towards people living in the Eastern and rural areas, poor and low educated.