Press releases and reports - Self-assessment of health by Ukrainian population

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Press releases and reports

Self-assessment of health by Ukrainian population

From November 9 to November 20, 2013 the Kiev International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) conducted All–Ukrainian poll of public opinion. There were interviewed 2011 respondents aged 18 and older, living in all regions of Ukraine (including Kiev) and in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. The selection is representative for the population of Ukraine aged 18 years and older.

The statistical error of selection (with probability 0.95 and at design–effect 1.5) doesn't exceed the following: 3.5% for indicators which are close to 50%, 2,8% – for indicators which are close to 25%, 2,0% – for indicators which are close to 10%, 1.4% – close to 5%.

Through the research of Omnibus which was conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) tracks the dynamics of self-assessment of health by Ukrainian population Ukraine since 1995. For a long time we noted a deterioration of self-assessment. However, from the beginning of the 2000 there is a gradual increase in the proportion of positive answers to this question.

In November 2013, 38.8% of questioned said that their health is good or very good. It is twice higher than in 2001 (19%). In parallel, there is a reduction in the proportion of those who negatively assess the state of their health: from 31.4 percent in 2001 year to 17.7 percent in 2013.

Dynamics of answers to the question "How would you estimate your health" during 1995-2013 years.

	1995	1998	2001	2005	2009	2013
Very good	1,3%	1,6%	1,4%	4,7%	3,8%	5,5%
Good	21,1%	18,2%	17,8%	26,4%	31,8%	33,3%
Middling	45,1%	50,6%	49,2%	42,9%	41,8%	42,9%
Bad	22,8%	21,0%	21,9%	21,3%	17,3%	14,4%
Very bad	8,6%	7,1%	9,5%	4,2%	4,0%	3,3%
Difficult to say	1,1%	1,5%	0,2%	0,4%	1,4%	0,8%

Consider a number of factors that may be associated with health. It is expected that health is directly related to age. The share of people who estimate their health positively, significantly increased in all age groups except the oldest (60 years and older). Analyzing the groups by gender, should be noted the traditionally higher self-assessment of men health compared to women, and this is typical of all age groups. We can assume that men are beginning to complain of health when these problems turn into quite serious.

Share healthy among different gender and age groups (2001-2013)

	Men				Women				Total
	2001	2005	2009	2013	2001	2005	2009	2013	2001	2005	2009	2013
18-29 years	53%	70%	72%	78%	27%	54%	66%	69%	40%	53%	69%	74%
30-44 years	27%	51%	61%	59%	16%	27%	37%	45%	22%	38%	49%	52%
45-59 years	19%	29%	25%	26%	6%	14%	18%	22%	12%	21%	21%	24%
60 years and older	10%	11%	14%	12%	3%	5%	4%	9%	6%	7%	8%	10%
Total	28%	41%	45%	46%	12%	22%	28%	33%	19%	31%	36%	39%

Another factor that positively affects the health is education: the higher it is, the people feel healthier. I want to believe that higher education helps to find a job with better working conditions.

Share healthy among respondents

of different educational level (2005-2013)

Incomplete secondary education	18%	16%
Secondary special education	33%	35%
Complete secondary education	29%	37%
Higher education	41%	52%
	2005	2013

The survey data also demonstrate a direct link between the level of material well-being of respondents and self-assessment of their health. Obviously, a high level of well-being provides the best opportunity to take care of their own health, although, as they say, it is impossible to buy health.

Share healthy among different groups

for self-assessment of financial position (2005-2012)

	2005	2013
We do not have enough money even for food	15%	12%
We have enough money for food but buying clothes or shoes is difficult	23%	29%
We have enough money for food, clothing, and we can save money but it is not enough to buy such things as, for example, a refrigerator or a TV	44%	50%
We can buy some expensive things (such as TV or fridge) but we can't afford everything I want	54%	60%

Note: the analysis excluded the category of those who chose the answer "We can afford to buy whatever I want", through the slight fullness of this group.

Although working conditions and standard of living is traditionally better in urban areas, we found no differences between self-assessment of health of the residents of towns and villages. Thus, we can state the fact that the level of optimism of our citizens in the assessment of their own health annually strengthens. More detailed analysis showed that the impact of the considered factors on self-assessment health has not changed the period which we studied, and this means that the explanation of this "recovery" of the population should be looked for among other reasons, which have remained outside the purview of the study. Health and happiness are the most important things which we traditionally wish our family and friends for holidays. And we see that these two concepts are closely linked: a positive assessment of their own health, as a rule, affects the general health of the person. Thus, respondents who feel healthy often describe themselves as happy.