The Socio-Economic Factors of Children’s Health in Russia

Abstract

This article analyzes the socio-economic factors causing disparities in the level of health of preschool children. Using data from the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey of the Economic Situation and Health of the Population of the NRU HSE, it demonstrates that a mother’s health and lifestyle determine her child’s health. It does not find a significant connection between a child’s health and indicators of a family’s financial well-being, level of the mother’s education, her age, or her employment or marital status. The results obtained are substantially different from factors that determine children’s health in developed countries. This is probably because in Russia, various income groups have similar behavior patterns, access to quality medical care, attitudes toward health, and harmful habits.

Keywords:

• socio-economic status
• children’s health
• lifestyle

Notes

1. The Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey of the Economic Situation and Health of the Population (RLMS-HSE) was conducted by the NRU HSE and Demoskop CJSC with the participation of the Carolina Population Center at the University of North Carolina and the Institute of Sociology, Russian Academy of Sciences (www.hse.ru/rlms, www.cpc.unc.edu/projects/rlms).

2. The project Monitoring Survey of the Socio-Economic Behavior of Households and the Social Problems of Childhood was completed as part of the NRU HSE Basic Research Program in 2016.

3. The size of the sample used to assess the final model amounted to 946 observations, taking into account missed observations.