Gender and validity of self-rated health in nineteen European countries

The aims of this study were to: (1) examine the concurrent validity of self-rated health for mental and physical health in Europe; and (2) evaluate whether self-rated health predicts health problems differentially by gender.

Data are from 19 European countries surveyed in the 2014 European Social Survey. We applied ordinary least squares regression to examine the association between self-rated health and summary indicators of physical and mental health problems.

We observed an association between self-rated health and both physical and mental health problems in all countries. Gender differences in the concurrent validity of self-rated health were documented in eleven out of 19 countries.

Self-rated health is a valid and efficient measure of physical and mental health across the European continent, with significantly greater concurrent validity among women.