[Subjective health and related factors among middle-aged men living in Tokyo--a comparative study]

Random samples of middle-aged (35-64) male residents of two different areas in Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, a low-mortality area (n = 767) and Koto-ku a high mortality area (n = 790) were interviewed between March and April in 1988, concerning health and life style. The two populations were compared regarding, 1) health status which was examined from the view point of fatigue, symptoms and self-rated health, 2) factors related to the three health indices. The main results were as follows: 1. No significant differences were seen between the two populations in the gross means for health indices. However when the health indices were stratified by age group, mental fatigue and minor symptoms were more prevalent in Bunkyo-ku than Koto-ku among young people, while prevalence of physical fatigue and major symptoms was higher in Koto-ku among old people. 2. The relationship between the health indices and job type, income, education and marital status was examined. In Bunkyo-ku, no relationship was seen after controlling for age, working conditions and life style. On the other hand, in Koto-ku, significant relationships were seen with age, job type and marital status, and health problems were prevalent not only among those with low socioeconomic status but also in other socioeconomic groups. These results were maintained even after controlling for age, working conditions and life style, similar to the analysis for Bunkyo-ku, indicating that health problems in this population do not appear to be solely the result of working conditions or life style.