A sense of coherence and health. Salutogenesis in a societal context: Aland, a special case?

Abstract

Background: Antonovsky's salutogenic concept of a sense of coherence (SOC) has proved most influential in the way that health is now perceived. Aim: To (1) describe the distribution of SOC among 40-70-year-old Å landers; (2) examine the distribution of depression in Å land, Finland, and its relationship with SOC; and (3) discuss the findings within a salutogenic framework in a societal context. Design: A cross-sectional study design was adopted. Antonovsky's SOC Questionnaire (13 items) and the Beck Depression Inventory (13 items) were used. In addition, in a separate questionnaire, sociodemographic information about each participant was sought, together with a question specific to this study and designed to measure self-rated health. Setting: Å land, an autonomous island province of Finland. Results: The proportion of respondents reporting good health was high (64%). The overall mean (SD) SOC was 70.7 (11.7) points, whereas for farmers and fishermen it was 73.88 (8.8) and 74.33 (9.2) points, respectively. SOC was significantly and strongly related to the self-rated health score. The higher the SOC, the better was the health of the respondents. Furthermore, the study provided clear evidence of the potential of the SOC concept as a positive mental health indicator. Conclusion: The SOC seems to be a health-promoting resource that supports the development of a positive subjective state of health.

The Orientation to Life Questionnaire: Validation of a Measure to Assess Older Adults’ Sense of Coherence

“…Our study reiterated the multidimensional structure of SOC in an older population, as previously shown for other populations (Antonovsky, 1993;Feldt et al, 2000;Eriksson, Lindstrom, & Lilja, 2007).…”

Burden in caregivers of long-term stroke survivors: Prevalence and determinants at 6 months and 5 years after stroke

“…The SOC consists of 13 items, rated on a seven-point Likert type scale, with a total maximum score of 91, with higher scores indicating a stronger sense of coherence. In accordance with previous research, values within the lowest quartile were considered as a weak SOC [34].…”

Relatives’ experiences of family members’ eating difficulties

“…A high level of SOC was protective against worrisome feelings (136). Yet, in a Finnish study, meaningful activities constituted approximately one-third of the variation on depression (137). Of notice, no gender differences were found in a Swedish survey about circulatory deficits and psychological distress related to SOC (58).…”