Geographical and household variation in health-related quality of life in Hong Kong.
OBJECTIVE
This study investigated individual, household, and area effects in the distribution of mental and physical health scores in Hong Kong.


METHODS
Analysis of data from a large representative survey of randomly sampled 29,561 Chinese adults in 2002. Multilevel regression methods were used to model variance in the physical and mental component of the SF-12 at the individual, household and area levels.


RESULTS
Little variance in scores occurred at the area level (0.3% for physical health and 2.1% for mental health), whereas substantial variance occurred at the household level (23.2% for physical health and 37.2% for mental health), and individual level (76.5% for physical health and 60.7% for mental health).


CONCLUSIONS
Similar to studies conducted in Western countries, these results confirm the importance of individual-, household- and area-level characteristics as important determinants of both mental and physical health. It suggests that area-level characteristics may be more important for mental than physical health.
Wong
Samuel Yeung Shan
SY
Department of Community & Family Medicine, School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, Hong Kong. yeungshanwong@cuhk.edu.hk
Lau
Chun Hong Johnson
CH
Wong
Eric Ming Chung
EM
Chung
Vincent Chi Ho
VC
Lo
Su-Vui
SV
Goggins
William
W
Meryl Griffiths
Sian
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004777:Environment; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D005843:Geography; D006304:Health Status; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors