Table 1 Possible explanatory factors for catastrophic healthcare spending
Explanatory Variables | Definition |
|---|---|
Region Pacífica (not including Valle) Atlántica Oriental Central Valle Orinoquía-Amazonía Antioquia Bogotá San Andrés | Region of Colombia in which the household is located |
Area Urban Rural | Residential area of the household |
Household Size | Number of persons living in the household during the reference month |
Type of Family One person Nuclear Extended Composite | Type of family by category based on its configuration: Nuclear: a couple with or without children or a single parent with children Extended: a couple or a single parent, with or without children, and other relatives Composite: families with persons who are not relatives |
Vulnerable Household Members Children and elderly adults No children but elderly adults Children but no elderly adults No children and no elderly adults | Vulnerable household members means children five years old or younger and elderly adults 65 years old or older |
Head of Household’s Age Younger than 65 years old 65 years old or older | Dummy variable for identifying heads of household (hh) 65 years old or older |
Head of Household’s Gender Male Female | Dummy variable for identifying female heads of household (hh) |
Perception of Heath Condition Bad or poor Good Different perceptions | Each household member’s perception of his or her health condition. Households where some members consider themselves in good health and others in bad or poor health are classified as “Different perceptions”. |
Health Insurance Policy Contributive Subsidized Special Non-insured Combined | Each household member’s type of affiliation to the SGSSS during the reference month. “Combined” indicates that not all household members have the same type of affiliation. |
Type of Healthcare Service Paid Outpatient Outpatient and medicine Medicine Any in-patient event None | Type of healthcare services for which the household incurred in out-of-pocket healthcare expenditure. In particular, outpatient healthcare services included doctor’s appointments, dentist’s appointments, vaccination, blood tests, Rx and alternative therapy. |
Income Quintile Quintile I Quintile II Quintile III Quintile IV Quintile V | Household income quintile based on the average total expenditure during the reference month. Quintile I groups 20 % of the households with the lowest income, whereas Quintile V groups 20 % of the households with the highest income. |
Ratio of Household Members Who Work | Number of household members who work out of the total number of household members |