title: Indicators of self-rated health in the Canadian population with diabetes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Self-rated health is a widely used measure of general health assessing risk factors and poor health outcomes in health surveys and clinical settings. The characteristics of self-rated health may be different in populations with specific chronic conditions, such as populations with diabetes. This study investigates the characteristics of self-rated health in a Canadian community sample of people with diabetes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Self-rated health was obtained from 1837 adults with Type 2 diabetes participating in the Montreal Diabetes Health and Well-Being Study. Global disability and depression were assessed using the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule II and the Patient Health Questionnaire, respectively. Logistic regressions studied the association between self-rated health and depression, disability, diabetes-related characteristics, socio-demographic factors, social support and lifestyle-related behaviours in both men and women.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants' answers were dichotomized into excellent/very good/ good (78%) and fair/poor (22%) self-rated health. Both depression (men: odds ratio 1.9, 95% CI 1.4-2.6; women: odds ratio 1.5, 95% CI 1.2-1.9) and disability (men: odds ratio 1.7, 95% CI 1.4-1.9; women: odds ratio 1.7, 95% CI 1.5-1.9) were associated with fair/poor self-rated health. The associations remained unchanged even after controlling for diabetes characteristics. After controlling for confounding variables, chronic conditions were associated with fair/poor self-rated health in both men and women. Obesity was associated with fair/poor self-rated health in women only, while lifestyle behaviours such as being physically active and alcohol consumption were associated with good/very good/excellent self-rated health in men.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In men and women, depression and disability are important factors that are associated with self-rated health in a large sample of individuals with Type 2 diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Badawi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gariépy
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pagé
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Schmitz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D059026:Diagnostic Self Evaluation; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D011792:Quebec / Q000453:epidemiology; D057566:Self Report; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult