Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health logoLink to Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
. 1996 Aug;50(4):423–428. doi: 10.1136/jech.50.4.423

Self rated health as a predictor of coronary heart disease in Copenhagen, Denmark.

L Møller 1, T S Kristensen 1, H Hollnagel 1
PMCID: PMC1060313  PMID: 8882226

Abstract

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To analyse the association between self rated health and the incidence of fatal and non-fatal coronary heart disease (CHD) in a Danish cohort followed up over 16 years. DESIGN: This was a prospective epidemiological follow up study. SETTING: A cohort from the County of Copenhagen, Denmark. PARTICIPANTS: The study included 1052 men and women born in 1936. During the 16 years' follow up 50 cases of CHD were registered in either the Danish register of deaths or the register of hospital admissions. MAIN RESULTS: Univariate analysis showed the following relative risks of CHD in the four self rated health groups: 'extremely good': 1.0, 'good': 4.0, 'poor': 5.8, 'miserable': 12.1 (p = 0.02). After control for the conventional CHD risk factors and a substantial number of other potential confounders the relative risks were: 1.0, 4.2, 6.5, and 18.6 (p = 0.02) respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Self rated health was an independent predictor of CHD in the present cohort. If confirmed, the association between self rated health and CHD may lead to new insight into psychosocial processes leading to this disease.

Full text

PDF
423

Images in this article

425Image
on p.425

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Appels A., Bosma H., Grabauskas V., Gostautas A., Sturmans F. Self-rated health and mortality in a Lithuanian and a Dutch population. Soc Sci Med. 1996 Mar;42(5):681–689. doi: 10.1016/0277-9536(95)00195-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Blackwell B. Illness behaviour labelling and compliance. Clin Invest Med. 1981;4(3-4):209–214. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Grafnetter D., Fodor J., Teplý V., Zácek K. The effect of storage on levels of cholesterol in serum as measured by a simple, direct method. Clin Chim Acta. 1967 Apr;16(1):33–37. doi: 10.1016/0009-8981(67)90266-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. HEYMAN D. K., JEFFERS F. C. Effect of time lapse on consistency of self-health and medical evaluations of elderly person. J Gerontol. 1963 Apr;18:160–164. doi: 10.1093/geronj/18.2.160. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Hollnagel H., Kamper-Jørgensen F. Utilisation of health services by 40-year-old men and women in the Glostrup area, Denmark. Dan Med Bull. 1980 Jul;27(3):130–138. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Hollnagel H. The health structure of 40-year-old men and women in the Glostrup area, Denmark--an epidemiological survey. General design, sampling results and referrals for further medical care. Dan Med Bull. 1980 Jul;27(3):121–130. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Hunt L. M., Jordan B., Irwin S. Views of what's wrong: diagnosis and patients' concepts of illness. Soc Sci Med. 1989;28(9):945–956. doi: 10.1016/0277-9536(89)90324-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Idler E. L. Age differences in self-assessments of health: age changes, cohort differences, or survivorship? J Gerontol. 1993 Nov;48(6):S289–S300. doi: 10.1093/geronj/48.6.s289. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Idler E. L., Angel R. J. Self-rated health and mortality in the NHANES-I Epidemiologic Follow-up Study. Am J Public Health. 1990 Apr;80(4):446–452. doi: 10.2105/ajph.80.4.446. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Idler E. L., Kasl S. V., Lemke J. H. Self-evaluated health and mortality among the elderly in New Haven, Connecticut, and Iowa and Washington counties, Iowa, 1982-1986. Am J Epidemiol. 1990 Jan;131(1):91–103. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a115489. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Kaplan G. A., Camacho T. Perceived health and mortality: a nine-year follow-up of the human population laboratory cohort. Am J Epidemiol. 1983 Mar;117(3):292–304. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a113541. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Kaplan G., Barell V., Lusky A. Subjective state of health and survival in elderly adults. J Gerontol. 1988 Jul;43(4):S114–S120. doi: 10.1093/geronj/43.4.s114. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Kehoe R., Wu S. Y., Leske M. C., Chylack L. T., Jr Comparing self-reported and physician-reported medical history. Am J Epidemiol. 1994 Apr 15;139(8):813–818. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a117078. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Krzyzanowski M., Wysocki M. The relation of thirteen-year mortality to ventilatory impairment and other respiratory symptoms: the Cracow Study. Int J Epidemiol. 1986 Mar;15(1):56–64. doi: 10.1093/ije/15.1.56. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. LaRue A., Bank L., Jarvik L., Hetland M. Health in old age: how do physicians' ratings and self-ratings compare? J Gerontol. 1979 Sep;34(5):687–691. doi: 10.1093/geronj/34.5.687. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Laurell S. A method for routine determination of plasma triglycerides. Scand J Clin Lab Invest. 1966;18(6):668–672. doi: 10.3109/00365516609049052. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Linn B. S., Linn M. W. Objective and self-assessed health in the old and very old. Soc Sci Med Med Psychol Med Sociol. 1980 Jun;14A(4):311–315. doi: 10.1016/0160-7979(80)90112-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Mossey J. M., Shapiro E. Self-rated health: a predictor of mortality among the elderly. Am J Public Health. 1982 Aug;72(8):800–808. doi: 10.2105/ajph.72.8.800. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Møller L. F., Jespersen J. Fasting serum insulin levels and coronary heart disease in a Danish cohort: 17-year follow-up. J Cardiovasc Risk. 1995 Jun;2(3):235–240. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Møller L. F., Kristensen T. S., Hollnagel H. Physical activity, physical fitness, and cardiovascular risk factors. Dan Med Bull. 1991 Apr;38(2):182–187. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Møller L., Kristensen T. S. Blood lead as a cardiovascular risk factor. Am J Epidemiol. 1992 Nov 1;136(9):1091–1100. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a116574. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Møller L., Kristensen T. S., Hollnagel H. Social class and cardiovascular risk factors in Danish men. Scand J Soc Med. 1991 Jun;19(2):116–126. doi: 10.1177/140349489101900207. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Palmore E. Predicting longevity: a follow-up controlling for age. Gerontologist. 1969 Winter;9(4):247–250. doi: 10.1093/geront/9.4_part_1.247. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Pfeiffer E. Survival in old age: physical, psychological and social correlates of longevity. J Am Geriatr Soc. 1970 Apr;18(4):273–285. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1970.tb03180.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Pijls L. T., Feskens E. J., Kromhout D. Self-rated health, mortality, and chronic diseases in elderly men. The Zutphen Study, 1985-1990. Am J Epidemiol. 1993 Nov 15;138(10):840–848. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a116787. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Singer E., Garfinkel R., Cohen S. M., Srole L. Mortality and mental health: evidence from the Midtown Manhattan Restudy. Soc Sci Med. 1976 Nov-Dec;10(11-12):517–525. doi: 10.1016/0037-7856(76)90019-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Svärdsudd K., Tibblin G. Is quality of life affecting survival? The study of men born in 1913. Scand J Prim Health Care Suppl. 1990;1:55–60. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Taylor D. C. The components of sickness: diseases, illnesses, and predicaments. Lancet. 1979 Nov 10;2(8150):1008–1010. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(79)92573-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Wannamethee G., Shaper A. G. Self-assessment of health status and mortality in middle-aged British men. Int J Epidemiol. 1991 Mar;20(1):239–245. doi: 10.1093/ije/20.1.239. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Ware J. E. Measuring patients' views: the optimum outcome measure. BMJ. 1993 May 29;306(6890):1429–1430. doi: 10.1136/bmj.306.6890.1429. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Welin L., Tibblin G., Svärdsudd K., Tibblin B., Ander-Peciva S., Larsson B., Wilhelmsen L. Prospective study of social influences on mortality. The study of men born in 1913 and 1923. Lancet. 1985 Apr 20;1(8434):915–918. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(85)91684-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES