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Self-rated health. Comparisons between three different measures. Results from a population study
I Eriksson1, A L Undén, S Elofsson
1Center for Research in General Medicine, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. ingeborg.eriksson@ks.se
International Journal of Epidemiology
|May 23, 2001
Summary
Different measures of self-rated health (SRH) show minor differences in epidemiological studies. Non-comparative SRH measures are generally suitable for longitudinal research, while SRH-age may be better for older populations.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Health Perception Research
- Psychometrics
Background:
- Self-rated health (SRH) is a key health perception metric in epidemiological research.
- Understanding variations in SRH measures is crucial for accurate health assessments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare different global self-rated health (SRH) measures.
- To analyze differences across age and sex groups.
- To examine associations with hypothesized determinants.
Main Methods:
- Administered a health questionnaire to 8200 randomly selected men and women.
- Included three single-question SRH measures: non-comparative SRH-7 (7 options), non-comparative SRH-5 (5 options), and comparative SRH-age.
- Analyzed response frequencies, distributions, age/gender differences, and determinant associations.
Main Results:
- Differences between SRH measures were generally marginal.
- SRH-7 showed a high dropout rate in older adults and strongest correlation with independent variables.
- SRH-age exhibited improved ratings with age and a less skewed distribution than non-comparative measures.
Conclusions:
- Non-comparative SRH measures are recommended for longitudinal studies.
- SRH measures lacking specified response options may be less suitable for older participants.
- Overall, the evaluated SRH measures provide comparable assessments of subjective health.