The relationship between being satisfied with one's health, good health practices and personal symptoms of ill health.
The focus of this study was satisfaction with health and its relationship to good health practices, symptoms and current use of medication. A self-administered questionnaire was circulated to employees of a railroad company. 3,639 males aged 18 to 54 (41.4 +/- 7.61) were selected. Seven good health practices each scored 1 were not smoking including quitting, not drinking or drinking less than six days a week, exercise more than two days per week, body mass index (BMI) being 20 to 28, total nightly sleeping time between six and nine hours, having breakfast everyday, and not eating between meals. Each score was summed up as health practice index (HPI). We also asked about health satisfaction for the past year, subjective symptoms over the last two to three months, and present medication history. HPI increased significantly in the group aged 45 to 54, this group being satisfied with their health. A decrease in the percentage of eating between meals in the under 35 group, inappropriate BMI in the 45 to 54 group, and regular exercise in the group aged 50 or older was recognized. Health satisfaction was predicted using symptoms, present medication, age and health practice. Standardized discriminant coefficients of symptoms and present medication were 0.672 and 0.610, and they were more associated to health satisfaction than health practice.
Kawada
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Department of Public Health, Gunma University School of Medicine, Maebashi, Japan.
Suzuki
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D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015444:Exercise; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016272:Occupational Health; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011890:Railroads; D012907:Smoking; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors