title: Self-rated health in different social classes of Slovenian adult population: nationwide cross-sectional study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Self-rated health can be influenced by several characteristics of the social environment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between self-rated health and self-assessed social class in Slovenian adult population.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was based on the Countrywide Integrated Non-communicable Diseases Intervention Health Monitor database. During 2004, 8,741/15,297 (57.1%) participants aged 25-64 years returned posted self-administered questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to determine unadjusted and adjusted estimates of association between poor self-rated health and self-assessed social class.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Poor self-rated health was reported by 9.6% of participants with a decrease from lower to upper-middle/upper self-assessed social class (35.9 vs. 3.7%). Logistic regression showed significant association between self-rated health and all self-assessed social classes. In an adjusted model, poor self-rated health remained associated with self-assessed social class (odds ratio for lower vs. upper-middle/upper self-assessed social class 4.23, 95% confidence interval 2.46-7.25; P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study confirmed differences in the prevalence of poor self-rated health across self-assessed social classes. Participants from lower self-assessed social class reported poor self-rated health most often and should comprise the focus of multisectoral interventions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Jerneja
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Farkas
authors.forename: Majda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pahor
authors.forename: Lijana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zaletel-Kragelj
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D012647:Self-Assessment; D017524:Slovenia; D012923:Social Class; D012931:Social Environment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires