Abstract

SEPULVEDA H, Diana M  and  ALVAREZ C, Luz S. Social exclusion and quality of life related to health in people from 25 to 60 years old living in the northeast zone, Medellín, 2009. Rev. Fac. Nac. Salud Pública [online]. 2012, vol.30, n.1, pp.45-56. ISSN 0120-386X.

OBJECTIVE: to identify the perception of social exclusion and its demographic, economic, and sociopolitical participation dimensions as well as its association with the Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) of people aged 25 to 60 living in the northeastern area of Medellin - Colombia, 2009. METHODOLOGY: a cross-sectional study of association was conducted. The sample size was calculated with a confidence level of 95%, an error of 4.5%, and a ratio of 0.28 derived from a study on social exclusion conducted in Medellín in 2008. The study was conducted with a total of 404 subjects. The sample was obtained through a probability, cluster, and multistage sampling that was proportional by sex and had no replacement. The data was analyzed using the SPSS v.15.0 and Stata 10 software. RESULTS: 22.8% of the population was perceived to be in a situation of social exclusion. The assessment of the Health-Related Quality of Life (hrqol) showed high scores in all the domains of the SF-36 questionnaire. Significant differences were observed in role physical (p = 0.000), role emotional (p = 0.000), and Mental Health (p = 0.023) scores. Non-excluded individuals showed higher scores in these domains. CONCLUSIONS: the results suggest that the perception of social exclusion affects HRQOL and individual health conditions may affect the perception of social exclusion. This may be due to the fact that health (disease) in itself generates social exclusion or that the healthcare services in the Colombian health system cause sick people to feel excluded.

Keywords : social exclusion; quality of life in health; northeastern area of Medellin; inequality in health; social injustice.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )