Self-Perceived Health, Objective Health, and Quality of Life among People Aged 50 and Over

Interrelationship among Health Indicators in Italy, Spain, and Greece

Datos Bibliográficos

ID15468200
AutoresLaura Maniscalco (0000-0001-7974-3963, University of Palermo), Silvana Miceli (0000-0003-3183-1897, University of Palermo), Filippa Bono (0000-0003-3119-4445, University of Palermo), Domenica Matranga (0000-0002-2466-937X, University of Palermo, autor de correspondencia)
Año2020
Volumen17
Número7
Páginas2414-2414
Fecha de publicación2020-04-02
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 1661-7827 • E-ISSN: 1660-4601
EditorialMultidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3390/ijerph17072414
PMID32252321
OpenAlexW3015119088
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas15
Referencias citadas19

It is well known that self-perceived health (SPH), even if it is a subjective health indicator, is significantly associated with objective health and quality of life (QoL) in the general population. Whether it can be considered an indicator of cognitive functioning and quality of life in the elderly is still an open issue. This study used a data-driven approach to investigate the interrelationship among SPH, non-communicable diseases (NCDs), QoL, and cognitive functioning to answer this question. The study sample included information about 12,831 people living in Italy, Spain, and Greece, extracted from the Survey on Health, Aging, and Retirement in Europe, in the year 2015. The additive Bayesian networks methodology was used to identify the best directed acyclic graphs (DAG) for SPH, QoL, and NCDs. Results were given as posterior estimates of generalized linear models (GLM) coefficients, with 95% credibility intervals. Good SPH was associated with a decreasing number of chronic diseases in Italy (coeff = -0.52, 95%CI: [-0.59, -0.44]), Spain (coeff = -0.53, 95%CI: [-0.60, -0.46]) and Greece (coeff = -0.57, 95%CI: [-0.64, -0.50]). Age and Body Mass Index were determinants of NCDs in all countries. QoL of elderly was associated with SPH in Italy (coeff = 0.12, 95%CI: [0.10, 0.14]), Spain (coeff = 0.16, 95%CI: [0.15, 0.18]), and Greece (coeff = 0.18, 95%CI: [0.16, 0.20]). The number of NCDs was higher for people who were not employed in Spain (coeff = 0.45, 95%CI: [0.37, 0.53]) and was decreasing for a unitary increase in years of education in Greece (coeff = -0.12, 95%CI: [-0.14, -0.09]). As a general rule, the framework of the interrelationship among NCDs, SPH, and QoL was similar for Italy, Spain, and Greece. The connections found among indicators could be proposed to identify strategies for health promotion and healthy aging among people aged 50 and above, which are viable in general and at a country level. Reinforcing strategies targeted at some health indicators could have relevant effects on other related indicators

Environmental health · Population · Quality of life (healthcare · Chronic Disease Management Strategies · Demography · Health disparities and outcomes · Health, psychology, and well-being · Medicine · Gerontology