Self-rated health in individuals with and without disease is associated with multiple biomarkers representing multiple biological domains

Abstract

Self-rated health (SRH) is one of the most frequently used indicators in health and social research. Its robust association with mortality in very different populations implies that it is a comprehensive measure of health status and may even reflect the condition of the human organism beyond clinical diagnoses. Yet the biological basis of SRH is poorly understood. We used data from three independent European population samples (N approx. 15,000) to investigate the associations of SRH with 150 biomolecules in blood or urine (biomarkers). Altogether 57 biomarkers representing different organ systems were associated with SRH. In almost half of the cases the association was independent of disease and physical functioning. Biomarkers weakened but did not remove the association between SRH and mortality. We propose three potential pathways through which biomarkers may be incorporated into an individual’s subjective health assessment, including (1) their role in clinical diseases; (2) their association with health-related lifestyles; and (3) their potential to stimulate physical sensations through interoceptive mechanisms. Our findings indicate that SRH has a solid biological basis and it is a valid but non-specific indicator of the biological condition of the human organism.

Everyday Life Meaningfulness for the Community-Dwelling Oldest Old During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Social relationships appear to be especially relevant for older adults with functional disabilities. The relation with meaningfulness and self-rated health may also reflect both disease pathology ( Kananen et al, 2021 ) and the psychological impacts of self-rated health ( Han, 2002 ), which requires further attention in the context of older people’s everyday life.…”

Getting Better or Getting Worse? A Population-Based Study on Trends in Self-Rated Health among Single Mothers in Germany between 1994 and 2018

“…We transformed this variable into two binary variables indicating ‘good’ (very good/good vs. the other categories) and ‘poor’ health (poor/bad vs. the other categories). SRH has proven to be a reliable and valid health indicator that is associated with healthcare utilization, future health problems, multiple biomarkers and mortality [ 26 , 27 , 28 ]. The time trend as the independent variable was assessed by means of a categorical variable covering five time periods (1994–1998, 1999–2003, 2004–2008, 2009–2013 and 2014–2018), using the first time period as a reference category.…”

“…Finally, some important limitations of the study need to be addressed. SRH has proven to be a reliable and valid health indicator [ 26 , 27 , 28 ]. However, caution is advised when comparing health ratings of different subgroups such as single and partnered mothers, as some of the differences may be due to systematic reporting tendencies.…”

Self-rated health in university students: a systematic review

“…Evidence suggests that this item is predictive in relation to morbidity and mortality outcomes 8,9 . These outcomes also suffer influences from attributes that are associated with this measure, such as: sociodemographic variables (women, old age, lower income and educational level) 10 and health-related behaviors (insufficiently active, irregular consumption of fruits and vegetables, excessive drinking and smoking) 10,11 and multiple biomarker levels (C-reactive protein, HDL cholesterol, glycosylated hemoglobin, 25-hydroxyl-vitamin-D, zeaxanthin, apolipoprotein-B, cell-free DNA and protein carbonyls) 12 .…”