Measuring and decomposing socioeconomic inequality in catastrophic healthcare expenditures in Iran
- Author:
Satar REZAEI
1
;
Mohammad HAJIZADEH
Author Information
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords: Socioeconomic factors; Health expenditures; Inequalities; Decomposition; Iran
- MeSH: Delivery of Health Care; Family Characteristics; Health Expenditures; Health Policy; Humans; Iran; Prevalence; Socioeconomic Factors; Vulnerable Populations
- From:Korean Journal of Preventive Medicine 2019;52(4):214-223
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
- Abstract: OBJECTIVES: Equity in financial protection against healthcare expenditures is one the primary functions of health systems worldwide. This study aimed to quantify socioeconomic inequality in facing catastrophic healthcare expenditures (CHE) and to identify the main factors contributing to socioeconomic inequality in CHE in Iran. METHODS: A total of 37 860 households were drawn from the Households Income and Expenditure Survey, conducted by the Statistical Center of Iran in 2017. The prevalence of CHE was measured using a cut-off of spending at least 40% of the capacity to pay on healthcare services. The concentration curve and concentration index (C) were used to illustrate and measure the extent of socioeconomic inequality in CHE among Iranian households. The C was decomposed to identify the main factors explaining the observed socioeconomic inequality in CHE in Iran.
