title: Three-year mortality in previously hospitalized older patients from rural areas--the importance of co-morbidity and self-reported poor health.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The risk factors for mortality after hospitalization in older persons are not fully understood. The aim of the present study was to examine the three-year (1,096 days) mortality in previously hospitalized older patients from rural areas, and to explore how objectively and self-reported health indicators at baseline were associated with mortality.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 484 (241 men) medical inpatients with age range 65-101 (mean 80.7, SD 7.4) years. Baseline information included the following health measures: the Charlson Index, the Mini-Mental-State Examination, Lawton and Brody's scales for physical self-maintenance and the instrumental activities of daily living, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale, self-reported health (one item), and perceived social functioning (one item) and assistance in living at discharge.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all, 172 (35.5%) of those patients included had died within the three years of the follow-up period. Three-year mortality was associated with a high score at baseline on the Charlson Index (HR 1.73, 95%CI 1.09-2.74) and poor self-reported health (HR 1.52, 95%CI 1.03-2.25) in a Cox regression analysis adjusted for age, gender, other objectively measured health indicators, and perceived impaired social functioning.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In a study of older adults admitted to a general hospital for a wide variety of disorders, we found co-morbidity (as measured with the Charlson Index) and poor self-reported health associated with three-year mortality in analysis adjusting for age, gender, and other health-related indicators. The results suggest that self-reported health is a measure that should be included in future studies.
authors: Department of Public Health and General Practice, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Postboks 8905, Trondheim NO-7491, Norway. anne-sofie.helvik@ntnu.no
authors: Anne-Sofie
authors: AS
authors: Helvik
authors: Knut
authors: K
authors: Engedal
authors: Geir
authors: G
authors: Selbæk
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015897:Comorbidity / Q000639:trends*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population / Q000639:trends*; D057566:Self Report; D015996:Survival Rate / Q000639:trends*