Self-assessed health among indigenous Australians: how valid is a global question?
OBJECTIVE
This study assessed the validity of a global measure of self-assessed health among Indigenous Australians.


METHODS
Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with self-assessed health in a nationally representative sample.


RESULTS
Among 8782 adult respondents, poorer self-assessed health was strongly associated with several factors, including age, number of health conditions, and recent health actions. The association with health conditions was attenuated when the respondent's primary language was not English.


CONCLUSIONS
Self-assessed health may be a valid measure among indigenous Australians whose primary language is English. However, although the measure draws on common experiences of health and illness, it may obscure differences in how people incorporate these experiences into social actions.
Sibthorpe
B
B
National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 200, Australia. beverly.sibthorpe@anu.edu.au
Anderson
I
I
Cunningham
J
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012647:Self-Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires