International Journal of Epidemiology 2001;30:600-607
© International Epidemiological Association 2001
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Self-rated health and limiting longstanding illness: inter-relationships with morbidity in early adulthood
a School of Public Health and Community Medicine, The Hebrew University and Hadassah, PO Box 12272, Jerusalem 91010, Israel. E-mail: om{at}cc.huji.ac.il
b Department of Paediatric Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK.
Abstract
Background Self-rated health and limiting longstanding illness are both widely used global measures of health, but understanding is poor of their meaning and validity at younger ages.
Methods We examined the association between self-rated health and limiting longstanding illness and specific health problems at two ages (23 and 33 years), and assessed change over the 10-year period for each health measure relative to another. Longitudinal data were taken from the nationally representative British birth cohort for which health measures were obtained at ages 23 and 33.
Results Self-rated health and limiting longstanding illness were strongly associated with each other as well as with specific health problems, particularly with serious conditions (e.g. epilepsy, cancer, diabetes) and more weakly with less serious conditions (e.g. eczema and hay fever). Rating of overall health and limiting longstanding illness was highly stable during the 10-year period with most, but not all, health change reflecting a deterioration in health status. Deterioration in limiting illness corresponded to an even greater health decline in specific conditions.
Conclusions Self-rated health and limiting longstanding illness are valid health measures appropriate for use in general health surveys.
KEY MESSAGES
- Self-rated health and limiting longstanding illness are widely used global health status measures, validated mainly in elderly populations. Little is known about the meaning of self-rated health and limiting illness in younger age groups.
- Self-rated health and limiting longstanding illness are related to specific health problems in early adulthood, especially to serious diseases. Health decline on these health status measures corresponds to deterioration for specific diseases.
- Self-rated health and limiting illness are valid global health status measures among younger as well as older age groups.
Keywords Self-rated health, limiting longstanding illness, early adulthood, health decline, morbidity
Accepted 20 November 2000
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