Life-style and self-rated global health in Sweden: a prospective analysis spanning three decades

To study the relations between lifestyle factors (smoking, drinking, exercise, vegetable consumption, social relations) and global self-rated health in the adult Swedish population.

The data come from the Swedish Level of Living Survey, a face-to-face panel study. The analysis follows the respondents with good health in 1991 (N=4035) and uses multivariate logistic regression to assess the relations between lifestyle factors in 1991 and health in 2000 and 2010.

Baseline (1991) exercise, social support, smoking and vegetable consumption are associated with health in 2000 and/or 2010. 2000: Weekly exercise in 1991 increases the probability of good health by 6 percentage points [95% CI: 1-10] compared to no exercise, and smoking 10 or more cigarettes a day decreases the probability of good health by 5 percentage points [95% CI 1-8]. Lacking social support decreases the probability of good health by 17 percentage points (95% CI: 9-25). 2010: Smoking 10 or more cigarettes a day decreases the probability of good health by 10 percentage points [95% CI 5-15], and eating vegetables every day increases the probability of good health by 4 percentage points [95% CI 0.2-7].

Exercise, smoking, social support and vegetable consumption are related to self-rated health 2000 and/or 2010.