A path analysis model of self-rated health among older people

The aim of this study was to examine the structure of self-rated health amo ng 75-year-old men and women. The study was part of the Evergreen project, comprising all the 75-year-old residents (N=382) of Jyvaskyla, in central F inland, in 1989. The data were collected by interviews, questionnaires and laboratory examinations, focusing on different domains of health and functi onal capacity. Of the target group, 91.6% (119 men and 231 women) participa ted in the interview, and 77.2% (104 men and 191 women) took part in the cl inical and laboratory examinations. Path analysis models (LISREL 8) were us ed to examine the structure of self-rated health. About half the participan ts self-rated their health as good or unusually good. In both genders, a sm aller number of difficulties in performing the physical activities of daily living (PADL), fewer chronic diseases, and better maximal working capacity were associated with better self-rated health. In addition, among the wome n a smaller number of depressive symptoms, and among the men better cogniti ve capacity had a positive effect on self-rated health. Physical activity a nd muscle strength had a positive indirect effect on self-rated health amon g both men and women. The explanatory pourer of the path analysis model for self-rated health was 44% for the men, and 42% for the women. The ability to perform the physical activities of daily living independently is an impo rtant associate of good self-rated health among older people. The path anal ysis models suggest that the factors underlying the physical activities of daily living also directly modify self-ratings of health among the elderly. The models of self-rated health for the men and the women were not exactly alike. (C) 1999, Editrice Kurtis.