Determinants of Self-Rated Health among the Elderly Living in a Big City Environment

摘要

Our paper aims to analyze me impact of factors determining self-rated health (SRH) at an early elderly age. The research study was conducted in a demonstrative area of the CINDI WHO program in the Gorna district of Lodz. The program has been running since 1991. 768 study subjects aged 65-74 were qualified for the statistical analysis. In a multiple-factor logistic regression model, we found a statistically significant impact of the following variables on poor self-rated health at the confidence interval (CI) of 95%. Tertiary and secondary education contributed to a lower chance of poor SRH compared to primary education. A low number of medical consultations per year contributed to a lower chance of poor SRH compared to more than 10 medical consultations per year. High body mass index contributed to a higher chance of poor SRH compared to BMI<25. Coronary heart disease contributed to a higher chance of poor SRH compared to the lack of this disease. On the basis of a multiple logistic regression model, we found that good SRH depended on sex (less likely among females), education (more likely among university graduates), the number of reported medical consultations (more likely if fewer than 10 per year), BMI (more likely for overweight, but less likely for obese subjects), diabetes (negative impact), hypertriglicerydemia (negative impact), and coronary heart disease (negative impact). The subjective perception of one's own health status is strongly correlated with the health results of the early elderly subpopulation in a big city environment.%Departament of Social and Preventive Medicine, Medical University in Lodz, Zeligowskiego 7/9, 90-752 Lodz, Poland;Departament of Social and Preventive Medicine, Medical University in Lodz, Zeligowskiego 7/9, 90-752 Lodz, Poland;Departament of Social and Preventive Medicine, Medical University in Lodz, Zeligowskiego 7/9, 90-752 Lodz, Poland;Departament of Social and Preventive Medicine, Medical University in Lodz, Zeligowskiego 7/9, 90-752 Lodz, Poland;