Abstract
Background. The percentage of the recipients of incapacity benefit in Estonia is relatively high and is increasing rapidly.
Objective. Analysis of changes in the relative importance of incapacity benefit recipients in the population and of differences in receiving incapacity benefit between various socio-economic groups.
Methods. Data from the study Health Behaviour among Estonian Adult Population 1990–2012 were used for analysis. Studies were implemented as postal surveys, adhering to a uniform methodology. The relevant random sample (Estonian residents 16–64 years of age) was commissioned from the Population Register. The studied group comprised 9,598 men and 12,866 women, of whom 873 and 897, respectively, received incapacity benefit. Differences between the different socio-economic groups in receiving incapacity benefit were estimated during four study periods by odds ratios (OR) with a 95% confidence interval adjusted for age, nationality, education, region of residence, income per household member and marital status, using multilevel logistic regression.
Results. The percentage of incapacity benefit recipients for the relevant last periood increased equally for men and women as well as for most socio-economic groups. After adjustment for the other examined characteristics, the odds ratio of receiving incapacity benefit increased in all periods in accordance with an increase of age and decrease in economic activity, and decreased with an increase of income per household member. The above OR increased additionally for women with residence outside Tallinn and decreased in accordance with higher educational level.
Conclusions. The study results conf irm the potential to improve the relevant situation through improvement of the applicable socio-economic status. The loss of the protective effect of higher education for men as well as the emergence of the protective effect of nationality ohter than Estonian for women in terms of an increased odds ratio to receive incapacity benefit, both of the above characteristics becoming apparent in the last study period, deserve attention and further research.