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Subjective Health (subjective + health)
Terms modified by Subjective Health Selected AbstractsAlcohol drinking pattern and subjective health in a population-based studyADDICTION, Issue 9 2006Saverio Stranges ABSTRACT Aims Some patterns of alcohol consumption (e.g. binge drinking, drinking outside of meals) have been associated with detrimental effects on health outcomes. Subjective health provides a global assessment of health status and is a strong predictor of total mortality; however, little is known about its relationship with alcohol drinking pattern. The association between several drinking patterns (i.e. drinking intensity and frequency, frequency of intoxication, drinking outside of meals, and beverage type) and subjective health was examined in a random sample of 3586 women and men. Design A population-based cross-sectional study. Methods Subjective health was assessed using the physical and mental health component summaries of the Short Form-36 health survey questionnaire. Alcohol consumption refers to the 30 days before the interview. Analysis of covariance compared gender-specific mean scores across alcohol drinking patterns. Findings Overall, non-current drinkers reported poorer physical and mental health than life-time abstainers and current drinkers, while no consistent differences were found between life-time abstainers and current drinkers. In female current drinkers, daily drinking, beer and mixed beverage consumption were associated with better mental health. In male current drinkers, moderate alcohol consumption (2,2.9 drinks per day), wine and mixed beverage consumption were associated with better physical health. Intoxication and liquor consumption were associated with poorer mental health in women and poorer physical health in men. No consistent associations were found for drinking outside meals. Conclusions Aspects of drinking pattern may affect subjective health differentially in women and men. Overall, intoxication and liquor drinking are associated with poorer self-perceived health status than regular, moderate consumption of other alcoholic beverages. [source] Prevalence and characteristics of older community residents with mild cognitive declineGERIATRICS & GERONTOLOGY INTERNATIONAL, Issue 2 2002Yoshinori Fujiwara Background:, Cognitive impairment is a major health issue, but epidemiological data on mild cognitive decline have been almost absent in Japan. Methods: Of all residents aged 65 years and over living in Yoita town, Niigata Prefecture, Japan in the year 2000 (n = 1673), 1544 participated in the interview survey held at community halls or at home (92.3% response). They underwent the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) for assessment of cognitive function and answered questionnaires comprising socio-demographic, psychological, physical and medical, and social activity items. Higher-level functional capacities were evaluated with the Tokyo Metropolitan Index of Competence (TMIG-Index of Competence). According to subject's age and MMSE score, all subjects were classified into 3 groups: control (MMSE,>,1 SD below age-specific means), mild cognitive decline (MMSE,,,21 and ,,1 SD below age-specific means), and severe cognitive decline (MMSE,,,20), and compared various characteristics among these groups. Results: Mean MMSE score of the subjects showed a linear decline with advancing age. Among the participants, 232 (15.2%) were classified as mild cognitive decline. Compared with the controls, the subjects with mild cognitive decline reported poorer subjective health, more depressive moods, more history of stroke, more prevalence of basic activity of daily living (BADL) disability, and lower higher-level functional capacity, even after controlling for possible confounding factors. They also reported a low level of social activities: both participating in group activities and enjoying hobbies were less frequent. Their food intake pattern tended to be monotonous. Conclusions: Older persons with mild cognitive decline comprised a substantial proportion (15.2%) of the community-dwelling older population. In addition to lower cognitive function, they had lower levels of functional capacity and social activity. [source] A preference-based index for the SF-12HEALTH ECONOMICS, Issue 6 2006D. Stratmann-Schoene Abstract Background: The SF-12 is a widely used generic measure of subjective health. As the scoring algorithms of the SF-12 do not include preference values, different approaches to assign a preference-based index are available that should be tested regarding their feasibility and validity. Objectives: To develop a concept for a preference-based index for the SF-12 on the basis of multi-attribute decision analysis and to perform initial tests of its feasibility and validity in an empirical study. Methods: A multi-attribute preference function for the SF-12 was developed, estimated and tested for validity. Two mail surveys (n = 100, 200) and an interview (n = 72) were conducted with women who had an operation for breast cancer. Visual analogue scale (VAS) and standard gamble (SG) measures elicited preference-based valuations. Results: Eight attributes were identified in the SF-12. Validity tests showed an average difference of 8 VAS score points between directly measured and predicted values for given health states. Conclusion: The initial results show that this approach might allow the direct assignment of a preference-based valuation to the SF-12. The quality of the psychometric features of the multi-attribute value function is encouraging. Future studies should test this concept more extensively, especially by determining parameters for a representative sample of the general population and by comparing performance with other approaches to value the SF-12. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Depression and chronic medical illnesses in Asian older adults: the role of subjective health and functional statusINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 11 2007Matthew Niti Abstract Objective Depression in elderly is reportedly associated with a number of specific chronic illnesses. Whether each of these co-morbid associations results uniquely from disease-specific psychobiological responses or is mediated by non-specific factors like subjective health and functional status is unclear. Method Analysis of data of 2,611 community-dwelling Chinese aged 55 and older, including depressive symptoms defined by Geriatric Depression Scale score,,,5 and self-reports of specific chronic illnesses. Results The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 13.3%, lower in those without chronic illness (7.5%), and higher in those with illnesses (13.2,24.2%). Crude Odds Ratios (OR) were significantly elevated for hypertension, eye disorders, diabetes, arthritis, ischemic heart disease, asthma/COPD, stroke, osteoporosis, heart failure, thyroid problem, and gastric problem. In multivariable analyses, only asthma/COPD [OR:2.85, 95% Confidence Intervals (CI): 1.36, 5.98], gastric problem (OR:2.64, 95% CI: 1.11, 6.29), arthritis (OR:1.87, 95% CI: 1.02, 3.42) and heart failure (OR:2.11, 95% CI: 0.98, 4.58) remained independently associated with depressive symptoms, after adjusting for comorbidities, subjective health and functional status, cognitive functioning, smoking, alcohol, psychosocial and demographic variables. Conclusion Most comorbid associations of depressive symptoms with specific chronic illnesses are explained by accompanying poor self-reported health and functional status, but some illnesses probably have a direct psychobiological basis. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Self-reported health and cardiovascular reactions to psychological stress in a large community sample: Cross-sectional and prospective associationsPSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 5 2009Anna C. Phillips Abstract Exaggerated cardiovascular reactions to acute psychological stress have been implicated in a number of adverse health outcomes. This study examined, in a large community sample, the cross-sectional and prospective associations between reactivity and self-reported health. Blood pressure and heart rate were measured at rest and in response to an arithmetic stress task. Self-reported health was assessed concurrently and 5 years later. In cross-sectional analyses, those with excellent/good self-reported health exhibited larger cardiovascular reactions than those with fair/poor subjective health. In prospective analyses, participants who had larger cardiovascular reactions to stress were more likely to report excellent/good health 5 years later, taking into account their reported health status at the earlier assessment. The findings suggest that greater cardiovascular reactivity may not always be associated with negative health outcomes. [source] Rank and health: a conceptual discussion of subjective health and psychological perceptions of social statusPSYCHOTHERAPY AND POLITICS INTERNATIONAL, Issue 1 2006Pierre Morin Abstract The social dimensions of health and illness have been studied extensively from a materialistic angle. The nonmaterial or subjective factors of social experience affecting health have only recently received some attention. This paper introduces a new multidimensional concept of rank, which includes social dimensions as well as nonmaterially based elements of emotional, psychological, and spiritual strength. It proposes that rank is an important addition to the current literature of socioeconomic inequality and health and examines its relevance for the discussion of how social status inequalities affect people's global health. It suggests that rank as a signifier of power contributes to feelings of powerlessness and leads to worsened health outcomes. This paper suggests that perceived rank may play a role in the socioeconomic status (SES) effect on self-reported health. It presents a new conceptual and therapeutic model to address issues of rank-based discrimination in health care. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Intergenerational support and subjective health of older people in rural China: A gender-based longitudinal studyAUSTRALASIAN JOURNAL ON AGEING, Issue 2 2009Shuzhuo Li Aim:, To examine gender differences in the effect of intergenerational exchanges on subjective health of Chinese rural elderly. Methods:, Using the data from three waves of the survey ,Well-being of Elderly in Anhui Province, China' conducted in 2001, 2003 and 2006, respectively, this study uses random effect logit models for men and women separately. Results:, While an increase in instrumental support from children to older people is associated with deterioration in the subjective health of older men, financial support from older people to children is associated with improvement in the formers' subjective health. Although an increase in instrumental support from older people to children, and mutual emotional support is associated with improved subjective health of older women, financial support from children to older women has a negative effect on the latter's subjective health. Conclusions:, Reciprocal intergenerational transfers contribute to improvement in subjective health of older people, while increased support through demand-based transfers appears to result in deterioration of their health. [source] The enigma of the welfare state: excellent child health prerequisites , poor subjective healthACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 6 2010C Lindgren Abstract The rate of subjective health complaints among Swedish children is increasing by age and over time, and more so than among children in other Scandinavian countries. In contrast, the somatic health and prerequisites for wellbeing are excellent. This paradoxical situation, The Enigma of the Welfare State, is the focus of this viewpoint. We argue that one important background factor may be late adverse effects of the welfare society itself and some of its inherent values. We have identified several possible pathways. We have given them names of diseases , on the society level , like health obsession, stress panic, welfare apathy and hyper-individualism. Together with other factors such as a dysfunctional school and an unsatisfactory labour market for youth, these diseases are involved in an interplay that is constantly inducing anxiety and low self-esteem. Conclusion:, The gradually deteriorating self-reported health among Swedish youth may, to some degree, be explained as a late adverse effect of the welfare society itself and its inherent values. [source] | |||||||||||||