Health and socioeconomic development and morbidity: A district case in Indonesia

Abstract

There was a substantial inequality in health status across districts in Indonesia. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between health and socioeconomic development and morbidity in districts in Indonesia. The data used came from the Indonesia Database Policy and Economic Research (INDO-DAPOER) of the World Bank. The unit analysis was district. The observation period was 2011 and 2014. Multiple regression analysis was employed to study the impacts of health and socioeconomic development on morbidity in districts in Indonesia. The dependent variable was the morbidity rate. The health and socioeconomic development variables included the time, number of medical doctors, number of health centres and its line services, monthly per capita household health expenditure, and access to safe sanitation. The results of the study indicate that, in districts in Indonesia, lower morbidity rate was significantly associated with increasing time, higher number of medical doctor, higher number of health centres and its line services, higher monthly per capita household health expenditure, and higher access to safe sanitation. These results imply that to reduce morbidity rate, the regional governments in Indonesia should improve their health and socioeconomic development.