Self-rated health (SRH) consists of a single question wherein individuals are asked to evaluate their general health status on a 5-point scale. This study investigated the relationship between SRH and depression/anxiety, with the purpose of getting a better understanding of how the two disorders are related to perceived general health, and to examine the possibility of using SRH as clinical tool for identifying individuals with increased risk for onset and persistent states of depression and anxiety. The study used cross-sectional and longitudinal data from the Västerbotten Environmental Health Study, a large questionnaire-based population study in northern Sweden. 2336 individuals participated at baseline (T1) and 3-year follow-up (T2). The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was used to measure symptoms of depression and anxiety. The results showed that those with poor SRH rated more severe symptoms of depression and anxiety, than those with good SRH. Those with poor SRH at T1 had more than twofold increased risk of falling into the depression and anxiety case groups at T2. Specifically, they more often experienced onset of symptoms at T2 as well as symptoms that persisted across the two occasions. The results corresponds in large with those from previous studies and supports the utility of SRH as a clinical tool, with the reservation that it may not be strong enough predictor on its own.

Self-rated health (SRH) is a commonly used measure in surveys. The associations of SRH in Canadian First Nations populations have not previously been fully studied. Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analyses were conducted to determine how participants rated their health and what factors associated with SRH in a Manitoba First Nation. Respondents rated their health substantially worse than the general Canadian population. Men rated their health worse than women, and older adults rated their health worse than younger adults. In multivariate analyses, sex, hypertension, arthritis, the metabolic syndrome, number of chronic conditions, vision and mobility difficulties, perceived stress, perceived control over health and life, and community conditions were independently associated with SRH. These results suggest that asymptomatic conditions may be incorporated into the SRH of community members and suggest a complex interaction of health-related factors, stressors, and psychosocial factors that contribute to community members’ SRH.

Self-rated health (SRH) is a commonly used measure in surveys. The associations of SRH in Canadian First Nations populations have not previously been fully studied. Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analyses were conducted to determine how participants rated their health and what factors associated with SRH in a Manitoba First Nation. Respondents rated their health substantially worse than the general Canadian population. Men rated their health worse than women, and older adults rated their health worse than younger adults. In multivariate analyses, sex, hypertension, arthritis, the metabolic syndrome, number of chronic conditions, vision and mobility difficulties, perceived stress, perceived control over health and life, and community conditions were independently associated with SRH. These results suggest that asymptomatic conditions may be incorporated into the SRH of community members and suggest a complex interaction of health-related factors, stressors, and psychosocial factors that contribute to community members’ SRH.

Med bakgrund av träningens betydelse för upprätthållandet av individens hälsa har denna studie riktats till att undersöka huruvida träningen bidrar till en bättre självskattad hälsa, SRH, eller inte och med hänsyn till träning tillhandahållen av arbetsgivaren eller annan träning. Metoden var kvantitativ med totalt 74 deltagare mellan 25-65 år, 54 var kvinnor. De kom från tre olika företag i Sverige inom två olika yrkesgrupper. Datainsamlingen skedde via en egen uppförd enkät som bestod av 11 frågor och några underfrågor. Deltagarna skattade sin hälsa utifrån en femgradig skala och SPSS användes för sammanställning av resultaten. Studien påvisade ett samband mellan SRH och om man tränade utan hjälp från arbetsgivaren. Det fanns även ett samband mellan SRH och träning oavsett om man tränade med eller utan arbetsgivarens hjälp. Resultaten diskuterades utifrån att tillgängligheten på träningen har en tendens till minskad betydelse med åldern.

No description available.

Introdução: A autoavaliação de saúde é um indicador da saúde geral e do bem-estar dos indivíduos e populações, resultado de uma percepção integrada sobre a saúde, incluindo aspectos biopsicossociais. Porém, há a necessidade de um melhor entendimento destes e de outros fatores associados e o estabelecimento de um modelo de causalidade. Além disto, faltam estudos avaliando as diferenças entre os países e contextos sociais, assim como a sua variação ao longo do tempo. Objetivos: 1) Descrever o estado de saúde de adultos não idosos, inferido por autoavaliação, entre países e regiões com diferentes perfis socioeconômicos; 2) Analisar os fatores contextuais e individuais associados à autoavaliação da saúde; 3) Analisar a tendência temporal dos valores da autoavaliação da saúde no período de 1990 a 2015. Métodos: Foram estudados indivíduos adultos (20-59 anos) a partir de bases de dados de pesquisas de âmbito nacional para o período de 1991 a 2013. Foram incluídas pesquisas que continham a pergunta central do estudo, sobre como o indivíduo avalia a sua saúde, totalizando 92 bases de dados. As variáveis em estudo segundo grupos serão: macroecômicas (PIB per capita e coeficiente de Gini); sociodemográficas e econômicas (idade, sexo, estado civil, trabalho, renda, escolaridade, urbano/rural); e variáveis de estilo de vida, acesso aos serviços de saúde, presença e tipos de doenças, e limitações físicas e/ou mentais conforme as informações disponíveis em cada estudo. Utilizou-se análise com modelos de efeitos mistos, através do software STATA 13.0. As bases de dados utilizadas são todas de acesso livre. Resultados: A frequência de autoavaliação da saúde ruim/muito ruim variou de 2,6 por cento na América do Norte a 14,2 por cento no Oriente Médio e Norte da África. A autoavaliação da saúde se mostrou associada com a presença de doenças crônicas, sendo pior naqueles indivíduos que as possuem. A autoavaliação da saúde melhora com o aumento da escolaridade e da renda e piora com o aumento da idade, sendo pior também no sexo feminino e nos indivíduos que não trabalham. Piora também quanto maior o número de limitações físicas e/ou mentais e é melhor naqueles indivíduos com estilo de vida mais saudável. As variáveis contextuais explicam parte da variância, sendo seu efeito mais pronunciado nas mulheres. O estado de saúde autoavaliado se reduziu ao longo dos anos. Conclusão: A autoavaliação da saúde é determinada por diversos fatores, tanto objetivos como subjetivos, demonstrando ser um bom parâmetro para a avaliação do estado geral de saúde de uma população. / Introduction: The self-rated health is an indicator of overall health and well-being of individuals and populations, the result of an integrated perception of health, including biopsychosocial aspects. However, there is a need for a better understanding of these and other associated factors, and the establishment of a causal model. Furthermore, there are few studies evaluating the differences between countries and social contexts and their variation over time. Objectives: 1) To describe the health status of non-elderly adults, inferred by self-assessment, between countries and regions with different socio-economic profiles; 2) analyze the contextual and individual factors associated with self-rated health; 3) To analyze time trends of self-rated of values from 1990 to 2015. Methods: We studied adults (20-59 years) from national research databases for the period 1991-2013. Were included studies that contained the central question of the study, about how the individual evaluates their health, totaling 92 databases. The variables second groups will be: economics (GDP per capita and Gini coefficient); sociodemographic and economic (age, sex, marital status, work, income, education, urban / rural); and lifestyle variables, access to health services, presence and types of diseases, and physical and/or mental limitations as the information available in each study. We used analysis using mixed models, using STATA 13.0. The databases used are all freely accessible. Results: The frequency of self-rated poor health / very poor ranged from 2.6 per cent in North America to 14.2 per cent in the Middle East and North Africa. The self-rated health was associated with the presence of chronic diseases, and worse in those individuals who possess them. The self-rated health improves with increasing education and income and worsens with increasing age also being worse among women and individuals who are not working. Worsening also the greater the number of physical and/or mental and is better in individuals with healthy lifestyle. The contextual variables explain part of the variance, and its most pronounced effect on women. The self-rated health status was reduced over the years. Conclusion: The self-rated health is determined by several factors, both objective and subjective, proving to be a good parameter for assessing the general health of a population.

Introdução: A autoavaliação de saúde é um indicador da saúde geral e do bem-estar dos indivíduos e populações, resultado de uma percepção integrada sobre a saúde, incluindo aspectos biopsicossociais. Porém, há a necessidade de um melhor entendimento destes e de outros fatores associados e o estabelecimento de um modelo de causalidade. Além disto, faltam estudos avaliando as diferenças entre os países e contextos sociais, assim como a sua variação ao longo do tempo. Objetivos: 1) Descrever o estado de saúde de adultos não idosos, inferido por autoavaliação, entre países e regiões com diferentes perfis socioeconômicos; 2) Analisar os fatores contextuais e individuais associados à autoavaliação da saúde; 3) Analisar a tendência temporal dos valores da autoavaliação da saúde no período de 1990 a 2015. Métodos: Foram estudados indivíduos adultos (20-59 anos) a partir de bases de dados de pesquisas de âmbito nacional para o período de 1991 a 2013. Foram incluídas pesquisas que continham a pergunta central do estudo, sobre como o indivíduo avalia a sua saúde, totalizando 92 bases de dados. As variáveis em estudo segundo grupos serão: macroecômicas (PIB per capita e coeficiente de Gini); sociodemográficas e econômicas (idade, sexo, estado civil, trabalho, renda, escolaridade, urbano/rural); e variáveis de estilo de vida, acesso aos serviços de saúde, presença e tipos de doenças, e limitações físicas e/ou mentais conforme as informações disponíveis em cada estudo. Utilizou-se análise com modelos de efeitos mistos, através do software STATA 13.0. As bases de dados utilizadas são todas de acesso livre. Resultados: A frequência de autoavaliação da saúde ruim/muito ruim variou de 2,6 por cento na América do Norte a 14,2 por cento no Oriente Médio e Norte da África. A autoavaliação da saúde se mostrou associada com a presença de doenças crônicas, sendo pior naqueles indivíduos que as possuem. A autoavaliação da saúde melhora com o aumento da escolaridade e da renda e piora com o aumento da idade, sendo pior também no sexo feminino e nos indivíduos que não trabalham. Piora também quanto maior o número de limitações físicas e/ou mentais e é melhor naqueles indivíduos com estilo de vida mais saudável. As variáveis contextuais explicam parte da variância, sendo seu efeito mais pronunciado nas mulheres. O estado de saúde autoavaliado se reduziu ao longo dos anos. Conclusão: A autoavaliação da saúde é determinada por diversos fatores, tanto objetivos como subjetivos, demonstrando ser um bom parâmetro para a avaliação do estado geral de saúde de uma população. / Introduction: The self-rated health is an indicator of overall health and well-being of individuals and populations, the result of an integrated perception of health, including biopsychosocial aspects. However, there is a need for a better understanding of these and other associated factors, and the establishment of a causal model. Furthermore, there are few studies evaluating the differences between countries and social contexts and their variation over time. Objectives: 1) To describe the health status of non-elderly adults, inferred by self-assessment, between countries and regions with different socio-economic profiles; 2) analyze the contextual and individual factors associated with self-rated health; 3) To analyze time trends of self-rated of values from 1990 to 2015. Methods: We studied adults (20-59 years) from national research databases for the period 1991-2013. Were included studies that contained the central question of the study, about how the individual evaluates their health, totaling 92 databases. The variables second groups will be: economics (GDP per capita and Gini coefficient); sociodemographic and economic (age, sex, marital status, work, income, education, urban / rural); and lifestyle variables, access to health services, presence and types of diseases, and physical and/or mental limitations as the information available in each study. We used analysis using mixed models, using STATA 13.0. The databases used are all freely accessible. Results: The frequency of self-rated poor health / very poor ranged from 2.6 per cent in North America to 14.2 per cent in the Middle East and North Africa. The self-rated health was associated with the presence of chronic diseases, and worse in those individuals who possess them. The self-rated health improves with increasing education and income and worsens with increasing age also being worse among women and individuals who are not working. Worsening also the greater the number of physical and/or mental and is better in individuals with healthy lifestyle. The contextual variables explain part of the variance, and its most pronounced effect on women. The self-rated health status was reduced over the years. Conclusion: The self-rated health is determined by several factors, both objective and subjective, proving to be a good parameter for assessing the general health of a population.

No description available.

Self-rated health (SRH) is an outcome commonly studied by demographers, epidemiologists, and sociologists of health, typically measured using an ordinal scale. SRH is analyzed in cross-sectional and longitudinal studies for both descriptive and inferential purposes, and has been shown to have significant validity with regard to predicting mortality. Despite the wide spread use of this measure, only limited attention is explicitly given to its unique attributes in the case of longitudinal studies. While self-rated health is assumed to represent a latent continuous and dynamic process, SRH is actually measured discretely and asymmetrically. Thus, the validity of methods ignoring the scale of measurement remains questionable. We compare three approaches to modeling SRH with repeated measures over time: linear multilevel models (MLM or LGM), including corrections for non-normality; and marginal and conditional ordered-logit models for longitudinal data. The models are compared using simulated data and illustrated with results from the Health and Retirement Study. We find that marginal and conditional models result in very different interpretations, but that conditional linear and non-linear models result in similar substantive conclusions, albeit with some loss of power in the linear case. In conclusion, we suggest guidelines for modeling self-rated health and similar ordinal outcomes in longitudinal studies. / text

Abstract Background: Many studies have demonstrated that health is a function of relative and not absolute income within populations. Canadian studies are not conclusive. There is a need for further investigation of the ‘relative income’ hypothesis in the Canadian population. Objectives: The primary objective of this research was to test the “relative income” hypothesis across Canadian health regions. The second objective was to extend the first hypothesis to consider rural versus urban populations in Canada. Methods: This research involved ecological analyses. The source of the data was the Canadian Community Health Survey, CCHS 2005 cycle 3.1. The units of analysis were health regions of Canada. Health of a region was estimated as the percentage of people who rated their health as good or excellent. The primary exposure variable was the ratio of people whose personal income was less than $15,000 relative to those reporting more than $80,000. Correlation analyses and multiple linear regressions were performed to ascertain the relationship between income inequality and health status in populations, adjusting for important covariates. Results: The measure of relative income inequality alone appeared to explain 18 per cent of the variability in the measure of health status in populations. However, after adding the measure of absolute income to the model, although 29 per cent of the variability was explained, the independent contribution of the inequality measure became non-significant. Linear regression models suggested that the absolute income variable alone could explain 30 per cent of the variance in the health status of populations. Other variables with a statistically significant contribution to the final multiple regression model were education and alcohol consumption. Rural/urban status did not change the individual relationship between relative income inequality or absolute income and the measure of health status in populations. Conclusion: Across Canadian health regions, health status in populations was a function of absolute income but not relative income. Regions with higher levels of education had better levels of self-rated health. A larger percentage of heavy drinkers was also correlated with lower population health status. The study findings have implications for public health, economic policies, and social policies. / Thesis (Master, Community Health & Epidemiology) -- Queen's University, 2008-09-17 15:32:27.341