Self-assessment of one's state of health and Body Mass index. Results of the MONICA/KORA project Augsburg.

摘要

The prevalence of preobesity and obesity dramatically increases worldwide. In Germany the prevalence of obesity is about 20%. The assumed association between self-assessed health (SRH) and body mass index (BMI) was analysed in the 1994-95 survey of the "Monitoring Trends and Determinants in Cardiovascular Disease" (MONICA) project Augsburg, Germany. In a standardized interview and with medical examination, SRH, cardiovascular risk factors and anthropometric parameters were determined. The association between SRH and BMI was analysed by logistic regression in 3873 subjects, aged 25 to 64 years. Odds ratios (OR) for negative SRH increase with rising BMI. This effect was statistically significant (P<0.05) in women after adjustment for age and is diminished after exclusion of sociodemographic factors, life style factors, and health factors. Compared to women with normal weight (BMI=20.0-24.9 kg/m2), obese women (BMI>=30.0 kg/m2) have more often a worse SRH (OR=1.21; 95%-CI=0.87-1.69). For men there is no significant association between negative SRH and BMI. The sex specific difference in the association between BMI and SRH is presumably partly caused by psychological effects.