Self-rated economic condition and the health of elderly persons in Hong Kong
Self-rated economic condition and the health of elderly persons in Hong Kong
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DOI：
10.1016/s0277-9536(01)00271-4
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发表时间：
2002-10-01
影响因子：
5.4
通讯作者：
Chou, KL
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Cheng, YH;Chi, I;Chou, KL
研究表明，健康和收入是影响老年生活质量的重要变量。然而，人们对于经济充足是否会影响老年人的健康知之甚少。最近的研究表明，除了物质和行为决定因素外，心理社会途径也会对健康不平等产生影响。这是第一篇研究香港长者自评经济状况（以单项问题衡量）与报告健康状况（即躯体不适、诊断出的身体疾病、功能健康（日常生活活动）、自评健康和心理健康状况（一般健康问卷-30 [GHQ-30]）之间关系的论文。该研究的受访者为居住在港岛南区公共屋村的65岁及以上人士。 400 1995年，该研究通过结构化调查问卷对50名受访者进行了访谈，结果发现，虽然该主观测量没有记录受访者的实际收入水平，但多元回归分析表明，自评经济状况是报告的躯体疾病和身体疾病数量以及功能健康、自评健康和心理健康状况（控制社会人口变量）的重要预测因素。与心理健康相关的研究结果证实了心理社会过程在理解感知健康和疾病以及健康不平等方面的作用，特别是 (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd。保留所有权利。
Studies have documented that health and income are important variables affecting the quality of life in old age. However, there is little knowledge about whether perceived financial sufficiency affects the health of elderly persons. Recent research has documented that in addition to material and behavioural determinants, psychosocial pathways also have an influence on health inequalities. This is the first paper to examine the relation between self-rated economic condition (measured with a single item question) and reported health conditions (i.e., somatic complaints, diagnosed physical diseases, functional health (Activities of Daily Living), self-rated health, and mental health status (General Health Questionnaire-30 [GHQ-30]) among elderly persons in Hong Kong. The respondents of the study were persons aged 65 and over residing in public housing estates in the Southern District of Hong Kong Island. Four hundred and fifty respondents were interviewed in 1995 by means of a structured questionnaire. The study found that although it did not record the actual income levels of the respondents, the subjective measure vividly demonstrated the health differentials among the elderly respondents. Multiple regression analyses suggested that self-rated economic condition was a significant predictor of the number of somatic complaints and physical illnesses reported, as well as of functional health, self-rated health, and mental health status (controlling for socio-demographic variables). However, the measure explained a higher proportion of variance in models related to psychological health than those related to physical health. The findings substantiated the role of psychosocial processes in understanding perceived health and illness and health inequalities in particular. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.