Variations in self-reported health status: results from a New Zealand survey.
OBJECTIVE
To report measures of the self-reported health of a sample of the New Zealand adult population elicited using the EuroQol Group's EQ-5D questionnaire, and to investigate variations in these measures, according to respondents' socio-demographic characteristics.


METHODS
Personal health status questions were included in a self-completed postal questionnaire mailed to a non-stratified sample of 3000 New Zealanders, selected at random from the electoral roll. 1350 questionnaires were completed and returned. Each respondent rated their health on the five EQ-5D dimensions- mobility, self care, usual activities, pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression- and assigned a global score to their profile.


RESULTS
Pain/discomfort was the most commonly experienced health problem, with 41% of all respondents and 63% of over-70 year olds reporting moderate or extreme problems. Just 4.5% of respondents reported problems with self-care. Respondents were more likely to report problems on each of the five dimensions and to have a lower global score if they smoked, if they were unemployed, a houseworker or retiree, and if their education did not continue past the minimum school leaving-age, or they did not have a degree or equivalent qualification. Problems on all dimensions were more common the older the respondent, and the global score was lower for over-70 year olds than for younger people. Neither the global score nor the incidence of problems on any of the dimensions was related to sex or ethnicity.


CONCLUSIONS
The EQ-5D is a potentially useful instrument for monitoring health in the New Zealand context. Further research to explore its validity and reliability, particularly for Maori, would be valuable.
Devlin
N
N
Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Dunedin School of Medicine. ndevlin@commerce.otago.ac.nz
Hansen
P
P
Herbison
P
P
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D011177:Postal Service; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires