Health Related Quality of Life Inequalities in Greece

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to investigate Health Related Quality of Life Inequalities in Greece and assess the effects of financial crisis on the health of the Greek Population.

METHODS: The EQ-5D-5L instrument was administered to a sample of 5100 randomly selected individuals (53% women, 46.7 % men) in Greece The Greek version of the EQ-5D-5L instrument was used in web based structural questionnaire. The impact of the crisis was examined on a Visual Analogue Scale (EQ-VAS) the EQ5D-Index and the five dimensions of the EQ-5 D instrument i.e.: i) Mobility, ii) Self Care iii) Usual Activities iv) Pain/Discomfort v) Anxiety/Depression. Furthermore a set of health inequality indexes were used such as Gini, Concentration, Atkinson and Entropy to measure the magnitude of health inequalities and during the crisis

RESULTS: The economic crisis has brought a significant deterioration on the health status and the quality of life of the Greek Population. The EQ-VAS mean scores indicated a significant deterioration by 10 points. From 86.06 (st.d.15.14) to 76.72 (st.d.20.51). The significant reduction in EQ-VAS was also associated with greater inequalities in the distribution of health. The EQ-VAS Gap among the poor was much greater in comparison to richer classes. In addition low-income individuals declared losses of jobs, fears of long unemployment and a significant deterioration of their psychological and emotional status at it was depicted in the dimensions of Anxiety –Depression and Pain –Discomfort. Low-income people confronted greater difficulties to have access to health services and expressed their greater mistrust to health system.

CONCLUSIONS: Tackling health inequalities is a prime public health objective of the recently elected government in Greece. The results of the study would contribute to effective and targeted health policies