title: Association of objective health factors with self-reported health.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There is a strong relationship between subjective health and mortality, level of functional ability and medical consumption. The aim of this study was to describe the correlation of objective health-related factors with self-reported health (SRH) of a sample of the Belgian population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were recruited during an exhibition at the Brussels Exhibition Centre. They completed a visual analogue scale assessing their SRH. Medical history and health related parameters of the participants were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total 974 visitors participated. From the multivariate analysis we found an association between low SRH and diabetes (OR 0.23-0.80), increased body mass index (OR 0.52-0.74), coronary heart disease (OR 0.28-0.97), smoking (OR 0.38-0.89), speaking Dutch (OR 0.40-0.92), not knowing length (OR 0.36-0.99), family history of breast cancer (OR 0.41-0.94), family history of coronary heart disease (OR 0.45-095) and aging (OR 0.84-0.99). Following a cholesterol-lowering diet was associated with a high SRH (OR 1.10-2.44).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most of the factors associated with low SRH are known and confirm what has previously been reported in literature. However, the associations between low SRH and not knowing your length, speaking Dutch or having afamily history of breast or colon cancer, as well as the association between high SRH and being on a cholesterol-lowering diet are interesting new findings.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Krijger
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schoofs
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Marchal
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Van de Vijver
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Borgermans
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Devroey
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D057566:Self Report; D055815:Young Adult