Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 9, 2026
Dried Blood Spot Collection of Health Biomarkers to Maximize Participation in Population Studies
Published on: January 28, 2014
Self-rated health showed a graded association with frequently used biomarkers in a large population sample
Marja Jylhä1, Stefano Volpato, Jack M Guralnik
1University of Tampere, School of Public Health, Medisiinarinkatu 3, Tampere, FIN-33014, Finland. marja.jylha@uta.fi
Background And Objectives:
Self-rated health is a widely used measure of health status, but its biologic foundations are poorly understood. We investigated the association of frequently used biomarkers with self-rated health, and the role of these biomarkers in the association of self-rated health with mortality.
Methods:
The relation of self-rated health to blood levels of albumin, white blood cell count, hemoglobin, HDL cholesterol, and creatinine was examined in a population-based sample of 4,065 men and women aged 71 years or older. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to determine the association of self-rated health with mortality during 4.9 years. Sociodemographic factors, diagnosed chronic conditions, and activities of daily living disability were controlled for in these analyses.
Results:
All the biomarkers showed a graded relationship with self-rated health. After adjusting for other indicators, hemoglobin and white cell count were significantly associated with fair or poor self-rated health. When biomarkers and other indicators were adjusted for, self-rated health still was a significant predictor of mortality.
Conclusion:
Self-rated health has a biologic basis, and it can be a sensitive barometer of physiologic states. Self-rated health is likely to predict mortality because it covers the spectrum of health conditions better than the variables measured in the study.
