Introduction. One of the aspects considered in a debate preceding the establishment of the new retirement age in Poland, was the health condition of the Polish population. A steady increase in the average life expectancy, observed for several years, is much higher in the cities than in the country. One of the reasons for this might be a limited availability of health services in rural areas. Objective. The aim of the study is to assess the scale of income-related inequalities in the access to health services in rural areas, and subsequently to assess the impact of having to give up some medical services on the subjective perception of health condition by rural inhabitants. Materials and methods. Individual data derived from the European Health Interview Survey (EHIS) conducted in 2009 constituted the basis for the presented analysis. The concentration index was used to measure the income-related inequalities in the use of medical services. The ordered logit model was used to verify the hypothesis that the availability of health services has an impact on the health condition. Results. Significant differences in the distribution of medical services utilization with regard to income, were found only in the case of hospital services. People with low income stay in hospital more often. The obtained inequality indices show a lack of income-related inequality in the use of outpatient services. The performed analyses confirm a negative impact of giving up this type of services on the health condition of residents of rural areas. Conclusions. The availability of medical services is an important determinant of the health condition. Too few medical institutions and scarce medical personnel limits the use of these services, and not only for people with low income.

The EU designs its cohesion policy with the primary purpose of reducing disparities in regional development.

Research background: The paper presents the issue of total factor productivity in the manufacturing industry in Poland. It has been assumed that total factor productivity (TFP) is a synthetic measure of efficiency of the production process and a measure of the impact of technical progress on the rate of economic growth. Purpose of the article: The main aim of the paper is to assess the differentiation in the level of total factor productivity (TFP) occurring among the Section C manufacturing divisions in Poland. In particular, the paper raises the issue of measuring and analysing the relationship between expenditure on research and development and the level of TFP in manufacturing divisions in Poland. Methods: In the presented research, the TFP level was determined by using the two-factor Cobb-Douglas production function, while econometric panel models were used to assess the studied relationship. Findings & Value added: The presented considerations show that manufacturing divisions in Poland are diversified in terms of total factor productivity. Generally, manufacturing divisions with high R&D intensity, i.e. divisions classified as so-called high-tech ones, are characterised by a high TFP level. The econometric analysis carried out allows us to conclude that expenditure on R&D incurred in manufacturing enterprises significantly affects the level of TFP.

As spatial diversity of economic development is one of the main problems of modern economies, researchers have attempted to define the conditions and factors influencing this phenomenon. Among others, two intangible factors are suggested: human capital and social capital (Herbst ed. 2007). The primary objective of this work is a spatial and spatio-temporal analysis of the diversification of human and social capital within the Polish NUTS 3 subregions. The two detailed targets are constructing composite indicator of both of the mentioned types of capital as well as examining spatial interactions between human capital, social capital and the GNP level per capita. The large diversification of human and social capital in the Polish subregions has been confirmed. Clusters of regions with low levels of human capital have been indicated, whereas in the case of social capital a grouping of its high values was observed. The research also confirmed the positive correlation between GNP per capita and human capital, with high values of both variables in the larget cities. Additionally, there are some subregions with high levels of economic development surrounded by low levels of human and social capital (Łódź, Szczecin, Wrocław). It is possible that high level of GNPpc in these regions was the incentive causing the relocation of human capital from the neighbouring regions. The correlation between GNPpc and social capital, where significant, is of the low-high type. These subregions are located in the east and south of Poland.

Zasadniczy cel podjęty w niniejszej pracy stanowi przedstawienie teoretycznych i metodologicznych aspektów badań oraz wyników analiz empirycznych służących identyfikacji społeczno-ekonomicznych uwarunkowań i implikacji stanu i nierówności zdrowia w Polsce. Cel pracy zorientowany jest na realizację zadań, mających charakter kwestii teoretyczno-metodologicznych, jak i tych o charakterze empirycznym. Zagadnienia teoretyczno-metodologiczne koncentrują się wokół metod identyfikacji uwarunkowań stanu i nierówności zdrowia oraz sposobów analizy związku stanu zdrowia z rozwojem ekonomicznym. Na uwagę zasługują stosowane w świecie dość powszechnie, a w Polsce niewykorzystywane metody kwantyfikacji nierówności zdrowia, zwłaszcza jej społeczno-ekonomicznego wymiaru. Przedstawione mierniki pozwalają na ocenę skali nierówności rozumianej jako nierównomierny rozkład wybranych wskaźników stanu zdrowia.