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Article

Open Access

Comparison Member and Candidate Countries to the European Union by Means of Main Health Indicators

Author(s)

Fatma Lorcu, Bilge Acar Bolat

Full-Text PDF Download XML 2088 Views

DOI:10.17265/1537-1514/2012.04.010

Affiliation(s)

Fatma Lorcu, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Trakya University.
Bilge Acar Bolat, Ph.D., Research Assistant, School of Business, Istanbul University.

ABSTRACT

Throughout history, health policies and the institutionalization of health care have taken shape according to political and economic conditions, social structures and value systems of societies, as well as to their needs and changes in health conditions. Today, economic development is addressed from a different approach in which the issue of health plays an important part. With a focus on the health sector’s role in development, this new approach has increased the importance of this sector of government and of life, allowing data on health to be included in many countries’ development indicators. The aim of this study is to identify the differences between EU former member states, member states, and candidate countries (including Turkey) in terms of health indicators that have become the key indicators of social and economic development. In this study, discriminant analysis will be used in order to analyse the differences between the European Union (EU) countries, and candidate countries in terms of main health indicators. Under-five mortality rate (‰), health expenditure per capita (PPP US$), total expenditure on health as percent of gross domestic product expenditure (percentage of GDP), immunization coverage among one-year-olds with one dose of measles (%), prevalence of current tobacco use among adults (≥ 15 years) (%), per capita recorded alcohol consumption (litres of pure alcohol) among adults, total fertility rate (%), hospital beds (per 1,000 population), physicians (per 1,000 population) and life expectancy are all included in the analysis as main health indicators of a country’s fitness for acceptance into the EU. As a result of the analysis, the discriminant variables that determine the statuses of former member, member, and candidate countries in terms of health indicators are identified “health expenditures per capita” and “life expectancy”. Another striking result is that Romania and Bulgaria, which became full member states in 2007, had similar health indicators to Turkey’s in 2004.

KEYWORDS

health indicators, discriminant analysis, European Union, Turkey

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