Table 2.
Unadjusted and adjusted odd ratios for positive and negative self-rated health among older adults.
| Variables | Unadjusted odds ratios (95% CI) (n = 4489)a | Adjusted odds ratios (95% CI) N = 4211 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Positiveb versus average self-rated health | Negativec versus average self-rated health | Positiveb versus average self-rated health | Negativec versus average self-rated health | |
| Sociodemographic | ||||
| Age 65–74 versus 60–64 | 1.0 (0.9–1.1) | 1.4 (1.1–1.8) | 1.2 (1.0–1.4) | 0.9 (0.7–1.2) |
| 75 and above versus 60–64 | 0.7 (0.6–0.9) | 1.9 (1.5–2.4) | 1.1 (0.9–1.4) | 0.9 (0.6–1.3) |
| Gender Females versus Males | 3.6 (3.2–4.1) | 1.2 (1.0–1.5) | 4.7 (3.9–5.6) | 0.6 (0.4–0.8) |
| Ethnicity Malay versus Chinese | 0.6 (0.5–0.8) | 0.7 (0.5–0.9) | 0.6 (0.5–0.8) | 0.5 (0.3–0.8) |
| Indians versus Chinese | 0.5 (0.4–0.6) | 0.6 (0.4–0.8) | 0.6 (0.5–0.9) | 0.5 (0.3–0.7) |
| Educational status Primary versus none | 0.8 (0.7–1.0) | 0.9 (0.7–1.1) | 1.1 (0.9–1.3) | 1.2 (0.9–1.6) |
| Secondary versus none | 0.9 (0.7–1.0) | 0.6 (0.5–0.8) | 1.2 (1.0–1.5) | 1.0 (0.7–1.4) |
| Vocational/junior college/polytechnic/university and above versus none | 1.0 (0.8–1.2) | 0.3 (0.2–0.5) | 1.5 (1.1–2.0) | 0.5 (0.3–0.9) |
| Housing type 1-2 room public housing versus 4-5 room | 1.0 (0.7–1.2) | 1.6 (1.1–2.2) | 1.5 (1.1–2.1) | 1.2 (0.8–1.9) |
| public/private3 room public housing versus 4-5 room public/private | 1.0 (0.9–1.2) | 1.2 (1.0–1.5) | 1.1 (1.0–1.4) | 1.2 (0.9–1.5) |
| Marital status Widowed versus married | 1.5 (1.3–1.7) | 1.2 (1.0–1.5) | 1.2 (1.0–1.4) | 0.7 (0.5–1.0) |
| Separated/divorced versus married | 2.2 (1.5–3.2) | 2.5 (1.5–4.1) | 1.9 (1.2–2.9) | 2.2 (1.2–4.0) |
| Never married versus married | 1.7 (1.3–2.3) | 1.8 (1.2–2.6) | 1.2 (0.8–1.7) | 1.5 (0.9–2.5) |
|
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| Health dimensions | ||||
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| ||||
| Independent in activities of daily living | 2.1 (1.5–2.9) | 0.2 (0.1–0.2) | 1.4 (0.8–2.2) | 0.6 (0.4–1.0) |
| Independent in instrumental activities of daily living | 1.5 (1.1–1.9) | 0.2 (0.1–0.2) | 1.1 (0.8–1.7) | 0.5 (0.3–0.7) |
| Independent in mobility | 1.1 (0.9–1.2) | 0.2 (0.2–0.3) | 1.3 (1.1–1.6) | 0.3 (0.2–0.4) |
| No difficulty in hearing | 2.8 (2.2–3.6) | 0.4 (0.3–0.5) | 1.5 (1.2–2.1) | 0.8 (0.6–1.0) |
| No difficulty in vision | 2.9 (2.4–3.5) | 0.3 (0.3–0.4) | 2.7 (2.1–3.4) | 0.5 (0.4–0.6) |
| No major physical illness | 2.1 (1.8–2.4) | 0.3 (0.2–0.4) | 1.9 (1.6–2.3) | 0.4 (0.3–0.4) |
| Free from pain | 3.2 (2.4–4.2) | 0.3 (0.2–0.3) | 3.3 (2.4–4.6) | 0.5 (0.4–0.7) |
| Restful sleep | 1.2 (1.0–1.3) | 1.1 (0.9–1.3) | 1.4 (1.2–1.6) | 1.2 (0.9–1.5) |
| Strong biting/chewing ability | 2.1 (1.7–2.6) | 0.6 (0.4–0.7) | 1.4 (1.1–1.8) | 1.4 (1.0–2.0) |
| Free from depressive symptoms | 2.2 (1.8–2.7) | 0.3 (0.3–0.4) | 1.6 (1.3–2.1) | 0.7 (0.5–0.9) |
| Strong personal mastery | 2.0 (1.7–2.3) | 0.4 (0.4–0.5) | 1.8 (1.5–2.2) | 0.7 (0.5–0.9) |
| Participation in social activities | 1.4 (1.2–1.7) | 0.5 (0.4–0.7) | 1.0 (0.9–1.3) | 0.9 (0.7–1.2) |
| Strong social networks | 1.1 (0.9–1.2) | 0.7 (0.6–0.8) | 1.0 ( 0.8–1.2) | 1.0 (0.8–1.3) |
| Perceived financial adequacy | 3.7 (3.0–4.5) | 0.5 (0.4–0.6) | 2.2 (1.8–2.8) | 0.6 (0.4–0.8) |
a n for each odds ratio may vary due to variable number of missing values.
bPositive self-rated health includes those who respond “very healthy” or “healthier than average”.
cNegative self-rated health includes those who respond “somewhat unhealthy” or “very unhealthy”.