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[Are fluctuations in health status related to socioeconomic factors among the Polish population?].

INTRODUCTION: Several studies indicated that prevalence of ischaemic heart disease (IHD) rose with increasing wealth of the population and previously higher IHD prevalence was observed in the higher social strata. Later, the IHD prevalence was higher in lower social class because the higher social class faster followed the recommendation connected with IHD prevention. Currently, in majority of wealthy countries the higher IHD prevalence is connected with lower social class. To assess the relationship between analyzed social factors (social background, education of father and subject himself and character of activity at work), marital status and self evaluation of the health status on the one hand and on the other hand classical IHD risk factors and death both total and cardiovascular. The basis of analyses constituted the results of examined in 1984, 1988 and 1993 independent 3 random samples of Warsaw population aged 35-64 years, the study conducted within the framework of the Pol-MONICA Warsaw Project. The screened population was followed up to 1998 from the death and its cause point of view. To the lower social class were included persons with peasant or blue collar worker social background, subjects, whose father's or himself had not finished the elementary education, and whose employment required very heavy physical work. Separately the analysis dealt with marital status and self assessment of health status. The lower social class was characterized by higher BMI and higher prevalence of obesity, higher heart frequency, higher level of systolic, diastolic and pulse pressure as well as prevalence of hypertension and higher HDL-C level. Higher social class was characterized by higher height and higher prevalence of cigarettes smoking. Married persons were characterized by higher weight and height as well as BMI. Persons who evaluated health status as bad or poor had lower height but higher systolic, diastolic and pulse pressure as well as prevalence of hypertension than the reference characteristics. Regardless that 18 characteristics (social factors and classical risk factors) were introduced previously into the regression model to evaluate the risk of death, in female population only lack of employment and poor assessments of health status out of social factors increased the overall risk of death; the risk of cardiovascular death increased with higher level of education, employment required heavy physical activity, not--maried status and poor or bad evaluation of health status, while compared with risk of reference characteristics. Among men the overall risk of death was connected with blue collar type of work, widow or divorced status, employment required heavy physical activity and poor or bad evaluation of health status. The risk of IHD death was connected with widow or not--married status, education at least college and poor or bad assessment of health status. One should conclude that currently in Poland the higher risk of death began to be transferred to lower social class.

Adult↗

The impact of age-related macular degeneration on health status utility values.

PURPOSE: To estimate health status utility values in patients with age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) associated with visual impairments, by using preference-based measures of health. METHOD: This was a cross-sectional study involving patients with unilateral or bilateral ARMD who attended a large teaching hospital. Patients underwent visual tests (near and distant visual acuity [VA] and contrast sensitivity [CS]) and completed health status questionnaires including the Index of Visual Function (VF)-14 and three preference-based measures (the Health Utilities Index Mark III [HUI-3], the EuroQoL Health Questionnaire [EQ-5D], and the Short Form 6D Health Status Questionnaire [SF-6D]) and the time tradeoff (TTO). The mean health status is presented for five groups, defined according to the VA in the better-seeing eye and for four CS groups. RESULTS: Two hundred nine patients were recruited with substantial loss of visual function as obtained by visual tests (mean decimal VA in the better-seeing eye: 0.2) and self-report (mean VF-14 score: 41.5). The mean (+/-SD) utilities were 0.34 +/- 0.28 for HUI-3, 0.66 +/- 0.14 for SF-6D, 0.72 +/- 0.22 for EQ-5D, and 0.64 +/- 0.31 for TTO. The HUI-3 had the highest correlation with VA and CS (0.40 and -0.34), followed by TTO (0.25 and -0.21). Across the VA and CS groups, only HUI3 and TTO had a significant linear trend (P < 0.05). In a regression model with CS and VA as explanatory variables, only the coefficient on CS was statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: ARMD is associated with a substantial impact on patients' health status, but this was not reflected in two of the generic preference-based measures used. The HUI-3 seems to be the instrument of choice for use in economic evaluations in which community data are needed. It may be more appropriate to base economic models on CS or some combination of CS and VA rather than on VA alone.

Aged↗

Comprehensive health status assessment of centenarians: results from the 1999 large health survey of veteran enrollees.

BACKGROUND: Information on the health status of centenarians provides a means for understanding the health care needs of this growing population. Therefore, we examined the health status of a national cohort of centenarian veteran enrollees. METHODS: Ninety-three centenarian veteran enrollees returned a complete health history questionnaire, which included questions about sociodemographic information, age-associated conditions, health behaviors, health-related quality of life as measured by the Veterans SF-36, and change in health status. RESULTS: Centenarian veteran enrollees are a group with major impairment across multiple dimensions of health-related quality of life despite having a relatively low prevalence of diseases. They had considerable physical limitations as reflected by their physical health summary scores (26.2 +/- 8.3). However, their mental health was comparatively good (mental health summary score 44.1 +/- 12.5). Compared to younger elderly veterans (ages 85-99), centenarians had a lower prevalence of hypertension, angina or myocardial infarction, diabetes, and chronic low back pain (p <.05). Centenarians had significantly worse physical functioning, role physical, vitality, and social functioning scores than did younger elderly veterans. The two groups did not differ in their general health, bodily pain, role emotional, and mental health scores. Centenarians did not perceive much decline in their physical or mental health during the preceding year. CONCLUSIONS: Centenarian veteran enrollees are a group with a low number of age-associated diseases and good mental health despite substantial physical limitations. These results support future studies of services directed toward improvement of function as opposed to those focused solely on the treatment of diseases.

Activities of Daily Living↗

Relationship between health status and utility measures in older claudicants.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between health status and health utility measures in 34 older claudicants and to determine which attributes of health status were significant predictors of health state valuation/preference. The MOS SF-36 was used to assess health status and the rating scale and multiattribute Health Utility Index (HUI) were used to assess utility scores. With regard to health status, the bodily pain and physical functioning subscales contributed the most to reductions in quality of life (QoL) with mean subscale scores substantially lower than reported population norms. Patients rated their health status approximately one-third below a state of perfect health on both utility measures. Moderate correlations were observed between the MOS SF-36 subscale scores and the HUI and rating scale scores. In multivariable regression models, physical functioning and mental health were the best predictors of HUI scores, whereas general health and vitality were the best predictors of rating scale scores. Approximately 50% of the variance in utility scores was explained by these attributes. This study provides further documentation that bodily pain and reductions in physical function contribute to reductions in QoL in older patients with intermittent claudication. Other attributes of health status, however, notably psychological distress, were predictive of patients' preference for health states. Recognized constructs of physical and mental health explained the substantial variation in the utility/preference assessment in this population. Furthermore, these data are consistent with those reported in the Dutch Iliac Stent Trial.

Aged↗

Predictors of international health status.

This study presents a new measure of health status, called the Health Status Scale (HSS). The HSS is composed of five indicators: three measuring adult mortality and two measuring mental and social health. The scale is created to conform to the World Health Organization (WHO) definition of health as including physical, mental, and social components. The scale is used as the dependent variable in a regression equation, using six common predictors of health status. The predictors relate to health personnel, nutrition, and health facilities. The results of the regression analysis indicate that health facilities are the most significant predictors of health status, using the HSS. Their significance may be due to the relationship between adult mortality and the absence of facilities to treat chronic disease in adults.

Data Collection↗

Assessment of health status in survivors of cancer.

The health status of 48 survivors of cancer was assessed using a rating system for six attributes: senses, mobility, emotion, cognition, self care, and pain. Paired assessments were made by doctors and patients (or their parents, or both) at routine clinic attendances. Sixteen (33%) assessments by the patient/parent and 19 (40%) assessments by the doctor identified no deficits in health status. The doctors identified fewer deficits in all attributes than the patients/parents, the differences being most marked for subjective attributes. Health status index scores on a scale of 0 (worst health state) to 1 (perfect health) were derived from the rating system and showed good overall agreement between the doctors and the patients/parents. Survivors of neuroaxial tumours tended to have lower scores than other diagnostic groups. This simple, compact system could be used in clinical trials to compare treatment strategies in terms of the health status of survivors. It could also be a valuable tool in the assessment of health status in other areas of paediatrics.

Activities of Daily Living↗

A comparison of patients with late-stage rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis of the shoulder using self-assessed shoulder function and health status.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the function and health status of individuals with advanced rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) of the shoulder using standardized patient self-assessment tools. METHODS: A group of patients with late-stage arthritic involvement of the shoulder was evaluated at the time of initial presentation using 2 questionnaires, one focusing on shoulder function and other on overall health status. RESULTS: There was substantial variability in the shoulder function and health status within each diagnostic group; however, both groups demonstrated significant deficits in their Simple Shoulder Test responses and in many of their Health Status Questionnaire-Short Form 36 scores. While the patients with RA tended to have somewhat greater impairment of shoulder function, many of the differences were not statistically significant. By contrast, most health status parameters were significantly more impaired in the patients with RA. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with late-stage shoulder arthritis, the overall health status of those with RA is significantly worse than those with OA. Differences in health status may be important in selecting the optimal management for individual patients with late-stage shoulder arthritis. Self-assessment questionnaires are effective in characterizing these differences.

Activities of Daily Living↗

Health status among 28,000 women veterans. The VA Women's Health Program Evaluation Project.

BACKGROUND: Male veterans receiving Veterans Health Administration (VA) care have worse health than men in the general population. Less is known about health status in women veteran VA patients, a rapidly growing population. OBJECTIVE: To characterize health status of women (vs men) veteran VA patients across age cohorts, and assess gender differences in the effect of social support upon health status. DESIGN AND PATIENTS: Data came from the national 1999 Large Health Survey of Veteran Enrollees (response rate 63%) and included 28,048 women and 651,811 men who used VA in the prior 3 years. MEASUREMENTS: Dimensions of health status from validated Veterans Short Form-36 instrument; social support (married, living arrangement, have someone to take patient to the doctor). RESULTS: In each age stratum (18 to 44, 45 to 64, and > or =65 years), Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS) scores were clinically comparable by gender, except that for those aged > or =65, mean MCS was better for women than men (49.3 vs 45.9, P<.001). Patient gender had a clinically insignificant effect upon PCS and MCS after adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, and education. Women had lower levels of social support than men; in patients aged <65, being married or living with someone benefited MCS more in men than in women. CONCLUSIONS: Women veteran VA patients have as heavy a burden of physical and mental illness as do men in VA, and are expected to require comparable intensity of health care services. Their ill health occurs in the context of poor social support, and varies by age.

Adult↗

Predicting changes in perceived health status.

Panel data from the Los Angeles Health Survey (N = 903) were used to examine variables associated with changes in perceived health status over a one-year period. Our findings replicate previous research showing that perceived health status is associated with variations in chronic illness, disability, and the utilization of health services. However, we found that neither positive nor negative changes in perceived health status were related to any indicator of health beliefs or practices or physical health status. The data suggest that single item measures of perceived health status may reflect the individual's sense of long-standing chronic illness.

Adult↗

Health status of older Chinese in Canada: findings from the SF-36 health survey.

BACKGROUND: Despite the fact that the Chinese belong to the largest visible minority group in Canada, there is little research findings on their health status, particularly the aging adults. This research aimed at bridging the knowledge gap by examining the health status of this population and comparing the health status between the Chinese aging population and the general aging population in Canada. METHODS: Secondary data analysis of data obtained from a multi-site study, Health and Well Being of Older Chinese in Canada, and from the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form (SF-36). The SF-36 published scores obtained from the same age cohorts in the Canadian Multicentre Osteoporosis Study were used for comparison purposes. Independent samples t-tests were used to compare the statistical significance of the two groups. RESULTS: Overall, older Chinese-Canadians reported better physical health than all older adults in the Canadian population. However, the older Chinese in all age and gender groups scored lower in the mental component summary (MCS). Despite the age differences, Chinese women reported statistically poorer health than the Chinese men in all of the 8 health domains. CONCLUSION: The data are useful for forming baselines for monitoring the effectiveness of future health interventions for this population. Efforts by service providers to address the health needs of older Chinese-Canadian women, the most vulnerable subgroup in this study, are essential. Interventions are also needed to address the poor mental health status in this ethnic minority group.

Age Distribution↗

Asylum seekers: general health status and problems with access to health care.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the general health status of asylum seekers and their access to health services. DESIGN: Prospective questionnaire survey. SETTING: A community-based asylum seeker centre in Sydney from March to September 1994, before the Limited Health Care Assistance Scheme had taken effect. PARTICIPANTS: Forty of 57 eligible asylum seekers from 21 different countries attending English language classes. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Results on the traumatic events section of the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire, a postmigratory problem checklist, the COOP Functional Health Assessment charts, the Duke-University of Northern Carolina Health Profile, and a structured interview to assess difficulties in accessing health care in Australia. RESULTS: More than 30 of the 40 participants reported exposure to past trauma. Asylum seekers were more impaired in their emotional health than a normative group of patients with minor (P < 0.001) and serious (P < 0.001) medical illnesses, and more impaired in role functioning than those with minor medical illnesses (P < 0.001). Twenty or more reported symptoms of nervousness, headache, and/or depression; 28 reported having pain in the previous four weeks. Twenty-seven reported major difficulties in accessing dental services. The same number reported problems in obtaining general medical care; the most important reason cited was not having a Medicare card. CONCLUSIONS: Although a selective sample, the asylum seekers in our study appeared to be suffering substantial levels of emotional and somatic symptoms, yet, for most, access to health care was a major problem. The effectiveness of recent sequential changes to the provisions covering welfare and health care for asylum seekers needs to be closely monitored.

Adult↗

Association between perceived health status and satisfaction with quality of care: evidence from users of primary health care in Oman.

OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to assess the influence of perceived health status, as measured by SF-12, on the client's views of service quality. METHODS: A structured interview of patients was carried out in six primary health care centres in Adh Dhahira region health authority in the Sultanate of Oman. A total of 1226 patients aged 15 and over attending the different health care services within the health centres took part in the study. The main outcome measures were patients' satisfaction with the different aspects of health care and their perceived physical and mental health status. RESULTS: When adjusted for the relevant background factors such as age and gender, poor perceived health status has been found to predict less positive judgements of various aspects of health care quality. Poor mental health status, for example, predicts less positive judgements of aspects that are linked to the accessibility of the service and interpersonal aspects of care such as the working hours of the centre, GP's attitude and time spent with the GP (P < 0.05, <0.05 and <0.01, respectively). Poor physical health status, on the other hand, predicts less positive judgements of aspects such as cleanliness of the building, confidentiality of consultation with the GP, explanation about the visit to the antenatal clinic and standard of antenatal clinic in general (P < 0.05, <0.05, <0.05 and <0.05, respectively). CONCLUSION: Users' perceived health status has to be evaluated concurrently with assessing satisfaction with the quality of health care services. This would provide more valid results with regard to the patients' views on their level of satisfaction with health care quality.

Ambulatory Care Facilities↗

Use of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate in chronically ill, elderly patients with a decline in health status.

A decline in health status in a chronically ill, elderly patient could mean the progression of a known disease, depression, or the development of a new disease. The value of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate in selecting patients in whom the likelihood of a new disease is high enough to warrant a diagnostic evaluation was studied. Subjects included long-term residents of a chronic-care hospital over age 65 in whom the erythrocyte sedimentation rate was determined because of a nonspecific, subacute change in health status (n = 98) or new, unexplained musculoskeletal complaints (n = 44). The target erythrocyte sedimentation rate-elevating diseases included infections, connective tissue diseases, and malignancies. Among the group with subacute deterioration, post-test probabilities (incorporating clinical data with test results) of a new disease ranged from 7 percent in those with an erythrocyte sedimentation rate below 20 mm per hour to 66 percent in those with a rate of 50 mm per hour or more. The comparable probabilities among the group with musculoskeletal complaints were 3 percent and 57 percent. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate, an inexpensive test, although nonspecific, appears useful in deciding when to pursue expensive, and sometimes uncomfortable or hazardous, diagnostic evaluations. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate is most useful among patients in whom the probability of disease is moderate (neither very high nor very low) following initial history-taking and examination.

Aged↗

Content comparison of health status measures for obesity based on the international classification of functioning, disability and health.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the content covered by twelve obesity-specific health status measures using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). DESIGN: Obesity-specific health status measures were identified and then linked to the ICF separately by two trained health professionals according to standardized guidelines. The degree of agreement between health professionals was calculated by means of the kappa (kappa) statistic. Bootstrapped confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. The obesity-specific health-status measures were compared on the component and category level of the ICF. MEASUREMENTS: welve condition-specific health-status measures were identified and included in this study, namely the obesity-related problem scale, the obesity eating problems scale, the obesity-related coping and obesity-related distress questionnaire, the impact of weight on quality of life questionnaire (short version), the health-related quality of life questionnaire, the obesity adjustment survey (short form), the short specific quality of life scale, the obesity-related well-being questionnaire, the bariatric analysis and reporting outcome system, the bariatric quality of life index, the obesity and weight loss quality of life questionnaire and the weight-related symptom measure. RESULTS: In the 280 items of the eight measures, a total of 413 concepts were identified and linked to the 87 different ICF categories. The measures varied strongly in the number of concepts contained and the number of ICF categories used to map these concepts. Items on body functions varied form 12% in the obesity-related problem scale to 95% in the weight-related symptom measure. The estimated kappa coefficients ranged between 0.79 (CI: 0.72, 0.86) at the component ICFs level and 0.97 (CI: 0.93, 1.0) at the third ICF's level. CONCLUSION: The ICF proved highly useful for the content comparison of obesity-specific health-status measures. The results may provide clinicians and researchers with new insights when selecting health-status measures for clinical studies in obesity.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

[Health status among community elderly in Korea].

PURPOSE: This study examined the health status among elderly in community. METHOD: This is a survey using cross-sectional design. The subjects were 531 elders who were 65 and over in Pusan, Korea. Data were collected by 17 trained interviewers from April 10 to August 26, 2000. Functional status for physical health status, depression, loneliness, self-esteem for psychological health status, and social support for social health status were measured. RESULT: About forty three percent of the subjects were found as the elderly who need support in physical status. About fifty six percent of the subjects were depressed. The mean score on the Loneliness scale was 40.4, which means relatively higher. For self-esteem, its score was lower than that of elderly who were examined in other studies. The subjects were living in the state of lower social support. The risk factors for vulnerable health status were being female, becoming older, lower income and education, and living alone. CONCLUSION: This finding indicates that the elderly subjects in Korean community were in poor health status in physical, psychological and social aspects.

English Abstract↗

Children in homeless families in Melbourne: health status and use of health services.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of health and behaviour problems in a sample of children in homeless families and of psychological problems in their parents, and to assess the use of health services by homeless families. DESIGN: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based prevalence survey. SETTING: Supported accommodation provided by a welfare service in Melbourne between May 1994 and June 1995. SUBJECTS: 51 children from 31 families soon after housing crises. RESULTS: More than one-third of all children had total behaviour problems scores in the "deviant" range (i.e., requiring mental health referral). Intellectual disability/developmental delay, skin problems, vision problems, recurrent headache, and asthma or other breathing problems were more prevalent in these homeless children than in a large Australian normative population. Their mothers scored higher than a large normative sample on the mental health questionnaire, most markedly for "anxiety-insomnia", "severe depression" and total score. Cost of treatment and transport difficulties were seen as barriers to using health care services. RECOMMENDATIONS: Australian health-care practitioners should be aware of the health and health service access problems of children in homeless families, and work to minimise their physical, emotional, developmental and academic disadvantages. Psychological support services should be available for homeless families, particularly for mothers.

Adult↗