Health spending puts more burden on the poor

The Turkish Statistical Institute published the results of its research called Health Module 2022.

According to the results of the survey, which aims to determine the health status of all persons aged 15 and over in households by 2022 and the burden of household health expenditures, medical examination and treatment expenses accounted for a burden for 43.4 percent of households.

HEALTH EXPENDITURES CONTRIBUTED TO THE MOST HOUSEHOLDS

Medical examination and treatment expenses were found to be a large burden for 7.3 percent of households, a small burden for 36.1 percent, and a burden for 47.7 percent.

While dental examination and treatment expenses were a large burden for 5.5 percent of households, a small burden for 25.8 percent, they were not a burden for 32.2% of households.

Pharmaceutical expenses, on the other hand, were a heavy burden for 5.9 percent of households and a small burden for 37.3 percent. 50.8 percent of households stated that spending on medicines did not represent a burden. In the last 12 months, 9.0 percent of households did not spend on examination or treatment, 36.6 percent did not spend on dental examination or treatment, and 6.0 percent did not spend on medicines.

INCOME EXPENSES

It was found that 51.9% of the first (lowest) 20% income group, 44.8% of the second (lowest) 20% income group, 40.6% of the third (lowest) 20% income group, 36.9% of the fourth (highest) income group, and 32.8% of the fifth (highest) income group did not spend on dental exams and treatment.

Of households in the bottom 20 percent income group, 49.1 percent of households were burdened by medical examinations and treatment, 27.8 percent by dental examination and treatment, and 52.2 percent by drug expenses.

60.4 percent of households in the highest income group stated that medical examination and treatment, 41.1 percent dental examination and treatment, 65.7 percent drug expenses were not a burden.

SITTING EMPLOYEES ARE A MINORITY

When the total working time of people aged 15 and over who work in a job is examined, it is observed that 28.2 percent of these people work mostly sitting, 47.9 percent standing, 18.4 percent walking or doing moderate physical activity, and 5.6 percent doing heavy work or intense physical activity.

While 16.8 percent of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion work sitting down, this rate is 31.3 percent for people who are not at risk. It was observed that 10.1 percent of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion spend their working lives doing heavy work or activities.

EMPLOYEES DO NOT HAVE ACTIVITIES LICENSE

When looking at the time spent away from work in a typical week by people aged 15 and over, whether they work or not, 4.4 percent of these people are determined as ‘Twice a day or more’, 12.6 percent as ‘Once a day’, 6.5 percent as ‘4 to 6 times a week’, 9.3 per cent as ‘Continuing physical activity 1 to 3 times a week or at least 1 time a week’.

It was observed that 63.8% of individuals do not dedicate time to physical activity or leisure activities.

THE MOST EXPERIENCED IS VISION AND WALKING PROBLEMS

97.1 percent of the people aged 15 and over in the scope of the module stated that they had no problems communicating, 95.7 percent self-care, 90.6 percent hearing, 84.5 percent remembering, 80.3 percent walking, and 80.1 percent seeing.

The most difficult activities were seeing with 19.7 percent, walking with 19.2 percent, remembering with 15.2 percent, and only 2.7 percent of individuals said they had difficulties in communication activities.

The activities that the individuals stated that they could not carry out the most were self-care with 0.6 percent, walking with 0.5 percent, remembering something and communicating with 0.3 percent.