title: Association of social roles, health, and health behavior of elderly women in Croatia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the association between the social role and objective and subjective health measures and use of health care services in the population of women older than 65 years in Croatia.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used the data from the 2003 Croatian Adult Health Survey (Short Form 36 Health Survey). Two sub-populations, retired women and housewives aged over 65 years, were analyzed and compared according to anthropometric measures, health self-assessment, utilization of health care services, and socioeconomic status.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The final sample consisted of 791 housewives and 1151 retired women. Housewives had larger waist circumference (98.44+/-13.9 vs 96.49+/-13.5, P=0.002, t test) and higher systolic blood pressure (152.88+/-25.2 vs 147.79+/-22.8, P<0.001, t test). On self health assessment, housewives had lower index on Mental Component Summary (MCS) (40.28+/-12.5 vs 42.96+/-12.4, P<0.001, t test). They also had lower self-assessed quality of life (40.28+/-12.5 vs 42.96+/-12.4, P<0.001, t test). Housewives performed regular breast check-ups significantly less often in the 12 months before the survey (7.5% vs 13.6%, chi2=18.0350, P<0.001), but they performed other forms of medical examinations, including general physical check-ups as often as retired women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Housewives differed from retired women of the same age in objective and subjective measures of health status, use of health care services, self perceived health, and self-assessed quality of life. These differences should be taken into account when planning public health measures for these age groups of women.
authors.affiliation: Aleksandar Dzakula, Andrija Stampar School of Public Health, Rockefellerova 4, Zagreb, Croatia. adzakula@snz.hr
authors.forename: Aleksandar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dzakula
authors.forename: Sanja Babić
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Bosanac
authors.forename: Ognjen
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Brborović
authors.forename: Tea Vukusić
authors.initials: TV
authors.lastname: Rukavina
authors.forename: Luka
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Voncina
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D017523:Croatia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008603:Mental Health; D009790:Occupations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011788:Quality of Life; D012179:Retirement / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012380:Role; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D016387:Women's Health