Marital status, social capital, material conditions and self-rated health: a population-based study.
OBJECTIVE
Associations between marital status and self-rated health were investigated, adjusting for material conditions and trust (social capital).


METHODS
The 2004 public-health survey in Skåne is a cross-sectional study. A total of 27,757 persons aged 18-80 years answered a postal questionnaire, which represents 59% of the random sample. A logistic regression model was used to investigate associations between marital status and self-rated health, adjusting for economic problems and trust.


RESULTS
The prevalence of poor self-rated health was 28.7% among men and 33.2% among women. Older respondents, respondents born abroad, with medium/low education, low emotional support, low instrumental support, economic problems, low trust, never married and divorced had significantly higher odds ratios of poor self-rated health than their respective reference group. Low trust was significantly higher among the divorced and unmarried compared to the married/cohabitating. Adjustment for economic problems but not for trust reduced the odds ratios of poor self-rated health among the divorced, which became not significant among men.


CONCLUSIONS
Never married and the divorced have significantly higher age-adjusted odds ratios of poor self-rated health than the married/cohabitating group. Economic problems but not trust seem to affect the association between marital status and poor self-rated health.
Lindström
Martin
M
Department of Clinical Sciences, Malmö University Hospital, Lund University, 205 02 Malmö, Sweden. martin.lindstrom@smi.mas.lu.se
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D017533:Marital Status; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden; D035502:Trust; D055815:Young Adult