Determinantes dos gastos privados em saúde voltados às crianças: uma análise da Coorte de Nascimentos de Pelotas/RS 2004

Abstract

The aim of this study was to identity what factors – socio-economic, demographic and health condition – influence the expenditures on health with children and, also, measure their impact on these expenditures. In order to do this, data from Pelotas‟ 2004 Birth Cohort was used, RS – Brazil. The database had initially 4,231 children, having a decrease in this number in the following meetings for 96% of the children at 3 months old, 94% at 12, 93% at 24 and 92% at 48 months old, giving a total of 3,799 children at the last date. After realizing some adjusts in order to be included in the analysis, there were only 2,436 children left. Estimates were performed using Stata 12 software through a Panel Data Tobit Model with random effects. The model was chosen because of the necessity of supporting a censored sample, since that the great part of the individuals does not have any expenditure on health. Among the results, it was observed that the fact of being a healthy child decreases in nearly 20% the probability of having some expense with drugs, while the fact of this having a health insurance increases in 8% the probability of having this expenditure. The increase in 1% in the home income generates a growth of 16% in the amount expected for these expenditures and, being a healthy child, this amount is 58% smaller. Being so, it was concluded that families with healthy children have a minor probability of spending with their health, and having a health insurance increases the probability of having other types of health expenditures, as well as the amount of money expected for it.