title: The role of financial wellbeing, sociopolitical attitude, self-interest, and lifestyle in one's attitude toward social health insurance.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There has been continuous debate in the United States, Germany, and China about their respective healthcare systems. While these three countries are dealing with their own unique problems, the question of how social a healthcare system should be is a topic in this debate.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study examined how strongly college students' attitudes toward a social healthcare system relate to ideological orientation and self-interest.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used samples of college students in the People's Republic of China, Germany, and the US, and extracted factors measuring "financial wellbeing," "sociopolitical attitude," "self-interest," and "lifestyle" to explain the "attitude toward social health insurance" (ASHI) construct developed in recent literature (Loh et al. in Eur J Health Econ 13:707-722).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results of regression analysis showed that sociopolitical attitude/progressivism is positively related to the ASHI, but the degree of association varies considerably from country to country. We also found that a self-interest factor, measured by health status, seems to be inversely related to an individual's ASHI in the US, but not in China or Germany. Individuals with relatively healthy lifestyle choices were less likely to have a favorable ASHI in Germany, but no such relationship was found in China and the US. These results indicate that while some commonalities exist, there are also considerable differences in the structure of ASHI across these three countries.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ultimately, the results reported here could help to develop a predictive model that can be utilized to forecast a country's ASHI. Such a predictive model could be used by politicians to gauge the popularity of a healthcare plan that is under consideration in a particular country.
authors: Department of Accounting and Finance, The University of North Florida, 1 UNF Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA. oschnuse@unf.edu
authors: Oliver
authors: O
authors: Schnusenberg
authors: Chung-Ping A
authors: CP
authors: Loh
authors: Katrin
authors: K
authors: Nihalani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D019458:Insurance Coverage; D007348:Insurance, Health; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012923:Social Class; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult