Self-rated health and mortality in people with diabetes.
OBJECTIVE
This study examined whether self-rated health is an independent and significant predictor of mortality in people with diabetes, using data collected in the Wisconsin Epidemiologic Study of Diabetic Retinopathy.


METHODS
Participants were asked to rate their health in comparison with others their age. A proportional hazards model was used to regress survival time on self-rated health and a number of covariates measuring physical health.


RESULTS
People with younger onset diabetes (n = 891) who rated their health relative to their peers as "worse" or "don't know" were no more likely to die than those rating their health as "the same" or "better" when physical health status was controlled. In contrast, those with older onset diabetes (n = 987) who rated their health as "worse" or "don't know" were almost twice as likely to die as those rating their health as "the same" or "better" when physical health status was controlled.


CONCLUSIONS
Self-rated health is a significant predictor of mortality in people with older onset diabetes but not in those with younger onset diabetes when physical health status is controlled.
Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
E J
EJ
Dasbach
R
R
Klein
B E
BE
Klein
S E
SE
Moss
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000401:mortality* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012649:Self Concept; D015996:Survival Rate; D014922:Wisconsin / Q000453:epidemiology