Validity and reliability of self-reported health of persons aged 70 and older

Four self-assessed health ratings were examined for their reliability, concurrent validity, and predictive utility in women aged 70 and older. The Perceived Well-Being (PWB) Scale and self-rated health were two subjective measures; the two objective measures were reported number of prescription medications and a medical symptom index from the Canada Fitness Survey. Four-week test-retest reliabilities ranged from .51 to .86. Significant concurrent validity was obtained among all four instruments, with the strongest association between PWB and SRH (r = .569, p < .001). The best predictor of late-life exercise was PWB, which explained 8% of the variance in involvement.