[Health expenditure related to disability. A study with poor population in Mexico].
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the effect of disability and incapacity in health expenditure in poor households in Mexico.


METHODS
This is an analysis of baseline survey of the Oportunidades evaluation. Households with siblings with structural disability or incapacity were identified, and health expenditure was estimated.


RESULTS
In 15314 households analyzed, 10.1% had a sibling with structural disability, and 13.4% with mild or severe incapacity. The presence of structural disability was not associated with a higher expenditure in health care. The presence of mild or severe incapacity was associated with 97% higher expenditure in ambulatory care compared with households without incapacity. The poor households have higher health related expenditures.


CONCLUSIONS
These results indicate that the incapacity to develop day to day activities has a significant impact on the out of pocket health expenditure. This impact is higher in poor households.
Urquieta-Salomón
José E
JE
Centro de Investigación en Salud Poblacional, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México. jurquieta@insp.mx
Figueroa
José L
JL
Hernández-Prado
Bernardo
B
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017281:Cost of Illness; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008800:Mexico; D008875:Middle Aged; D011203:Poverty