Psühhosotsiaalne ja majanduslik toimetulek tänapäeva Eestis erinevates elanikkonna rühmades
Inequalities in socio-economical welfare and poverty as the causes of inequalities in health

Margo Kikas, Ene Lausvee
Open University

It’s quite obvious that socio-economically disadvanced and poor people are more likely to be sick, and to die at an earlier age, compared to rich people. Several recent studies confirm that this is the case. What may not be so obvious is that the health of the poor is harmed in proportion to the size of the gap between rich and poor - the more equally wealth is distributed the better is the health of that society.

Economic growth in Estonia of the past 5-6 years was not shared evenly among the poor, the rich, and the middle class - we’re facing growing inequalities in incomes and expenditures. The widening gap between rich and poor individuals, families and social classes is mainly caused by the failures in Estonian social policy based on principles of liberalist social policy model.

By existing statistical data and surveys the health status of Estonian people in general is not favourable compared to most western and northern European countries. During the last decade the birth rate has dramatically diminished, rate of abortions is extremely high, life expectancy is short (especially among men), high level morbidity rate for chronic incommunicable diseases and mortality and health risk behaviour (like smoking, alcohol, drugs etc.) is ever growing danger for our young people.

“The Estonian Survey of socio-economic conditions and childhood experiences in relation to health – lifestyle, habits, believes & chronic diseases 2001-2002” was performed by the Department of Social Work and the Laboratory of Health Studies at the Department of Psychology at the Tallinn Pedagogical University. The main aim of the survey was to find relations between socio-economic conditions, childhood experiences and different health indicators (lifestyle, habits, believes & chronic diseases) in Estonia. Our current studies focus mainly on pathways of health effects of socio-economical inequalities. We used a special interdisciplinary questionnaire in our study. The research sample was selected from different backgrounds: retired people, students, clients of social work institutions & agencies etc. There were 200 respondents in total.

There is a significant positive correlation between self-rated health status and self-rated socioeconomic status. We have found a significant positive correlation between respondents’ self-rated SES (socio-economical status) and the diseases & health problems like depression, heart malaises, indigestions, hypertension etc. There seems to be also significant correlation between SES and some risk behaviours like smoking. Lower SES increases the likelihood that individuals will encounter negative events, diseases and problems with their mental & physical health.

For solving people’s health problems we need not only to develop our health care services, it is necessary to take SES into consideration to make effective adjustments to programs and policies that have a profound impact on the well-being of people. Redistribution of wealth would have the greatest absolute effect (in terms of numbers of lives saved) because it would improve the lives of the largest number of people.