Assessment of self-rated health: The relative importance of physiological, mental, and socioeconomic factors

Abstract

Background The general self-rated health (SRH) question is the most common health measure employed in large population surveys. This study contributes to research on the concurrent validity of SRH using representative data with biomarkers from the Czech Republic, a population not previously used to assess the SRH measure. This work determines the relative contribution of biomedical and social characteristics to an individual’s SRH assessment. Studies have already explored the associations between SRH and markers of physical health. However, according to a PubMed systematic literature search, the issue of the relative importance of physiological and psychosocial factors that affect individuals’ assessments of their SRH has generally been neglected. Methodology/Principal findings Using data from a specialized epidemiological survey of the Czech population (N = 1021), this study adopted ordinary least squares regression to analyze the extent to which variance in SRH is explained by biomedical measures, mental health, health behavior, and socioeconomic characteristics. This analysis showed that SRH variance can be largely attributed to biomedical and psychological measures. Socioeconomic characteristics (i.e. marital status, education, economic activity, and household income) contributed to around 5% of the total variance. After controlling for age, sex, location, and socioeconomic status, biomarkers (i.e. C-reactive protein, blood glucose, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein, and high-density lipoprotein), number of medical conditions, and current medications explained 11% of the total SRH variance. Mental health indicators contributed to an additional 9% of the variance. Body mass index and health behaviors (i.e. smoking and alcohol consumption) explained less than 2% of the variance. Conclusions/Significance The results suggested that SRH was a valid measure of physiological and mental health in the Czech sample, and the observed differences were likely to have reflected inequalities in bodily and mental functions between social groups.

Self-rated health status and associated factors in rural workers

“…In the present study, there was a risk gradient for negative self-assessment of health status as socioeconomic class decreased. This finding has already been well established in the scientific literature, indicating that a higher socioeconomic level is associated with better self-rated health [ 24 , 39 , 40 ].…”

Autoavaliação negativa do estado de saúde entre adultos no Brasil

“…É bem estabelecida pela literatura a influência dos efeitos das desigualdades relacionada aos aspectos socioeconômicos, como educação, ocupação, renda, gênero, etnia, escolaridade e posse de planos de saúde na distribuição da morbimortalidade das DCNT e seus fatores de risco na saúde das populações. 2 Vale ressaltar que a forma de cada um pensar sobre a sua condição em saúde também sofre alteração de aspectos individuais como a idade, sexo, etnia, escolaridade, renda e aspectos comportamentais, e ainda de outros determinantes que interferem no processo de saúde-doença, como, estrutura familiar, acesso aos serviços, saneamento, apoio social, discriminação social e acesso a ações preventivas de saúde. 3 Diante dos resultados apresentados neste estudo, observou-se na população do sexo feminino uma predominância na avaliação negativa do estado de saúde, comparada aos homens, assemelhando-se a o que é evidenciado em outros estudos, a nível local, 18 nacional 16 e internacional.…”

“…A autoavaliação de saúde (AAS), conhecida como a perspectiva que o indivíduo tem sobre o próprio estado, seja ele positivo ou negativo, 1 vem sendo frequentemente empregada em grandes pesquisas populacionais. [2][3] Diferente da avaliação clínica, onde os resultados são obtidos através de exames e da análise profissional, a autoavaliação julga, em um único contexto, componentes físicos e psicossociais. A percepção do sujeito em se sentir bem ou não vai além dos desconfortos físicos, podendo abranger as consequências advindas de alguma enfermidade e a satisfação com a própria vida.…”

Subjective social status, health and well-being among older adults in China and South Korea: a cross-sectional analysis

“…Understanding these constructs in relation to SSS provides a broader context for its significance in health research. The one-item measure of subjective health rating is commonly used in population surveys for its reliability and sensitivity to clinical health outcomes 24. The answer choices for this question were as follows: very good/1, 2, 3 and 4; very bad/5.…”