S. Suominen et al., Sense of coherence as a predictor of subjective state of health - Results of 4 years of follow-up of adults, J PSYCHOSOM, 50(2), 2001, pp. 77-86
A number of cross-sectional population studies have shown that a strong sen
se of coherence (SOC) is associated with various aspects of good perceived
health. The association does not seem to be entirely attributable to underl
ying associations of SOC with other variables, such as age or level of educ
ation. Objective: The aim of the study reported here was to determine wheth
er SOC predicted subjective state of health. Methods: The study was carried
out as a two-way panel mail survey of 1976 individuals with 4 years interv
al for two collections of data. The statistical method used was multivariat
e cumulative logistic modeling. Age, initial subjective state of health, in
itial occupational training level, and initial degree of social integration
were included as potential explanatory variables. Results: A strong SOC pr
edicted good health in women and men. Conclusions: SOC can be interpreted a
s an autonomous internal resource contributing to a favorable development o
f subjective state of health. SOC data should, however, be regarded as comp
lementary to and not a substitute for information already known to be assoc
iated with increased risk of future ill health. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science I
nc. All rights reserved.