The structure of self-reported physical health among the aged in the United States and Japan.
This article attempts to extend the generalizability of a three-dimensional model of self-reported physical health among the aged to a nonwestern culture. Consisting of three interrelated dimensions, chronic illness, functional status, and self-rated health, this model was empirically evaluated by using national data on the aged gathered in the United States and Japan. The three-dimensional specification was found to apply equally well to U.S. and Japanese elderly. In addition to examining the internal structure of this three-dimensional model, the study assessed the model's relationships with a set of selected exogenous variables including age, sex, marital status, and education. The relationships between the selected exogenous variables and physical health dimensions are largely similar in both countries. However, clear differences appeared in at least three instances.
Liang
J
J
Center for Health System Studies, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI 48202-2689.
Bennett
J
J
Whitelaw
N
N
Maeda
D
D
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012649:Self Concept; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States