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Are there educational differences in the association between self-rated health and mortality in Norway? The HUNT
Joakim D Dalen1, Tim Huijts, Steinar Krokstad
1Norwegian University Science and Technology, NTNU Dragvoll, Institutt for sosiologi og statsvitenskap, Trondheim, Norway. joakim.dalen@samfunn.ntnu.no
Aims:
The aim of this study was to test whether the association between self-rated health and mortality differs between educational groups in Norway, and to examine whether health problems and health-related behaviour can explain any of these differences within a previously unexplored contextual setting.
Methods:
The study used data from the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study 84-86 (HUNT) with a 20-year follow up. The analyses were performed for respondents between 25-101 years at baseline (n = 56,788). The association between self-rated health and mortality was tested using Cox regression.
Results:
The results indicate that although self-rated health is associated with mortality there is no difference in the association between self-rated health and mortality between educational groups. Introducing health-related variables did not have an impact on the result.
Conclusions:
Given the small educational differences in the association between self-rated health and mortality, this supports the reliability of self-reported health as a measurement for objective health.
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