title: Self-rated health does not predict 10-year weight change among middle-aged adults in a longitudinal population study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is a worldwide obesity epidemic, but lack of a simple method, applicable for research or clinical use, to identify individuals at high risk of weight gain. Therefore, the relationship of self-rated health and 10-year percent weight change was evaluated to determine if self-rated health would predict weight change.
  
  
  METHODS
  From 1990 to 2008, adults aged 30, 40, 50 and 60 years were invited to health surveys that included self-rated health and measured weight and height. ANOVA was used to evaluate the relationship of 10-year percent weight change and self-rated health.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study population consisted of 29,207 participants (46.5% men). There was no relationship between baseline self-rated health and 10-year percent weight change for middle-aged men or women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Self-rated health is not able to predict weight change over a 10-year period in this age group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, S-901 87 Umeå, Sweden. margareta.norberg@epiph.umu.se
authors.forename: Margareta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Norberg
authors.forename: Kristina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lindvall
authors.forename: Paul L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Jenkins
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Emmelin
authors.forename: Göran
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lönnberg
authors.forename: Anne N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Nafziger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D057566:Self Report; D015430:Weight Gain