Self-rated health and mortality in older men and women: A time-dependent covariate analysis

Self-rated health and mortality in older men and women: A time-
dependent covariate analysis

Tiina-Mari Lyyraa, , , Esko Leskinenb, Marja Jylhäc and Eino
Heikkinena
aThe Finnish Centre for Interdisciplinary Gerontology and Department
of Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Finland
bDepartment of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Jyväskylä,
Finland
cSchool of Public Health, University of Tampere, Finland

Arch Gerontol & Geriatrics

Abstract
Although the relation between self-rated health (SRH) and mortality is
widely known, most of the studies have relied in baseline measurements
unheeding the dynamics of the phenomenon. Our aim was to analyze how
SRH both as a constant and as a time-dependent covariate predicts
mortality in older men and women and to compare these different
approaches. Subjects consisted of 110 male and 208 female (n = 318)
residents in the city of Jyväskylä, central Finland, aged 75 years at
the baseline in 1989. The follow-up data was gathered in 1994 and
mortality was followed for 10 years. Results showed that poor SRH was
strongly associated with higher mortality risk in women in all models.
In men, the association was found only in time-dependent and 5 year
follow-up models and these associations were explained by baseline
health status. To conclude, our analyses showed that there are gender
differences in association between SRH and mortality and that the use
of time-dependent covariate in a Cox regression model enables
advantage to be taken of all the information in a longitudinal study
design.

Corresponding author. Tel.: +358 14 260 2150; fax: +358 14 260 4600.

* * *
When I saw the title of this article, I thought to myself, "Self-rated
mortality? That's a neat trick."

Seriously, I only read the abstract, but I suspect that women are more
realistic about their own health status and men are more into denial,
on average. (Men posting messages on health-related usenet may not be
average.) My husband's internist retired last spring, and my husband
still hasn't found a new doctor. How convenient for him!

Marilyn

Marilyn

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Natural cancer treatments
    ... Poor Schultzie has no argument, hardly surprising for one who claims ... importance" IN LOWERING THE MORTALITY RATE IN THE U.S. DURING THE 20TH ... :> vaccination, personal hygiene campaigns, and improved child health care ... You have no *reason* to do so, but your inability to read for comprehension ...
    (misc.health.alternative)
  • Growing Rich poor Gap in India putting Childrens life at risk - 2.1 Million Children die
    ... booming economies like India and China is leaving many mothers and ... Some 2.1 million under-fives died in India in 2006, and the report ... gross domestic product allocated to health care. ... achieving the 2015 global goal of reducing under-five mortality by two- ...
    (soc.culture.indian)
  • Re: population sizes for colonising a planet
    ... I found in this paper by Robin Hanson: ... "The Productivity of Health Care and Pharmaceuticals: ... provide the biggest payoffs in decreased mortality ...
    (rec.arts.sf.composition)
  • Re: Obscene
    ... >>> of sex, then what is the negative effect on health? ... >>Mortality from cervical cancer is around 1:30000 women. ...
    (misc.writing)
  • Re: Obscene
    ... >>> of sex, then what is the negative effect on health? ... >>Mortality from cervical cancer is around 1:30000 women. ...
    (misc.writing)