title: The effect of trust and change in trust on self-rated health: a longitudinal study among aging people.
abstract: This study examined whether trust predicted subsequent self-rated health over time at 3 years follow-up among aging people, and whether changes in trust were associated with self-rated health. Longitudinal, questionnaire-based data were collected from three age cohorts (born in 1926-1930, 1936-1940, and 1946-1950) living in the Province of Päijät-Häme, southern Finland. The response rate at the baseline in 2002 was 66% (n=2815). The follow-up was carried out in 2005, with 79% of eligible individuals participating (n=2216). Logistic regression analyses were used to derive the results. High trust was a strong predictor for good self-rated health at the follow-up. Adjusting for background variables, however, attenuated the association. In addition, good self-rated health was most common among men with sustained high trust, among women the association was somewhat weaker. Among men improvement in trust was associated with good self-rated health, but this correlation weakened after multiple adjustments. Thus, longitudinally trust is an important contributor to self-rated health among aging people. Moreover, improvement of trust but also the stability of high trust especially among men indicate better self-rated health. Trust has a positive effect on health and should therefore be seen as a significant element in health promotion.
authors.affiliation: Health Promotion Unit, Department of Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention, National Public Health Institute (KTL), Mannerheimintie 166, FIN-00300 Helsinki, Finland. olli.nummela@ktl.fi
authors.forename: Olli
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Nummela
authors.forename: Tommi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sulander
authors.forename: Ossi
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Rahkonen
authors.forename: Antti
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Uutela
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D015438:Health Behavior; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012649:Self Concept; D012737:Sex Factors; D035502:Trust / Q000523:psychology*