title: [Self-reported health status in adolescents, adults and the elderly].
abstract: The scope of this study was to verify the prevalence and associated factors of self-reported health status as regular/bad. A cross-sectional, population-based study was conducted in Pelotas. The sample size comprised 820 adolescents, 2715 adults and 385 elderly. Self-reported health status was investigated via the question: "How do you rate your health?" Data on demographics, socioeconomic, behavioral, and health-related characteristics of individuals were gathered. Adjusted prevalence ratios were estimated through the Poisson regression. Prevalence of reporting health status as regular or bad was 12.1%, 22.3% and 49.4% in adolescents, adults and the elderly, respectively. Adolescents with lower economic status and schooling had higher prevalence of regular/bad self-reported health. Among adults and the elderly, women and older men with lower economic status and some morbidity presented a higher proportion of regular/bad self-reported health. In conclusion, individuals perceive health not only as the absence of a disease, but also as a construct related to social, demographic and, to a lesser extent, behavioral aspects. Health approaches must recognize this fact and transcend the simplistic model where health is dichotomized into the sick and the non-sick.
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Estudos em Epidemiologia da Atividade Física, Escola Superior de Educação Física, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, 96055-630 Pelotas RS. ffreichert@gmail.com
authors.forename: Felipe Fossati
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Reichert
authors.forename: Mathias Roberto
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Loch
authors.forename: Marcelo Fernandes
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Capilheira
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003710:Demography; D059026:Diagnostic Self Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D057566:Self Report; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors