Gender differences in predictors of self-rated health among older adults in Brazil and Chile

BMC Public Health

Research Article

Efigênia Ferreira e Ferreira¹  Andréa Maria Duarte Vargas¹  Ana Cristina Viana Campos²  Hugo Sánchez³  Lydia Lera³  Cecilia Albala³ 

[1] Department of Community and Preventive Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Presidente Antônio Carlos 6627, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil;School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Presidente Antônio Carlos 6627, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil;Unidad Nutrición, Salud Pública y Envejecimiento Saludable, INTA, Universidad de Chile, El Líbano 5524 Macul, 138-11, Santiago, Chile;

关键词: Self-rated health;    Older adults;    Gender;    Latin American;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12889-015-1666-9

 received in 2014-11-06, accepted in 2015-03-19,  发布年份 2015

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundThe determinants of self-rated health (SRH) have been widely investigated to explain social differences and gender differences in health. This study aimed to investigate the gender differences in predictors of SRH among Brazilian and Chilean older adults.MethodsWe used two samples of older people: 2052 Brazilian community-dwelling participants (1226 women and 862 men) and 1301 Chilean community-dwelling participants (855 women and 446 men). Sequential logistic regression analysis was used to examine the relationships between SRH and potential predictors in a hierarchical model.ResultsOverall, 35.5% and 52.1% of individuals in Chile and Brazil, respectively, reported good SRH. There was a gradient association between good SRH and chronic diseases in both countries. Chilean men without chronic disease or with one had a higher chance of good SRH, compared to two or more diseases. For Brazilian men, no or one chronic disease was associated with good SRH. For women, the set of independent predictors for good SRH included no chronic diseases or one chronic disease, and no activities of daily living limitation. For men, the set also included instrumental activities limitation. For Brazilian adults of both genders, depression demonstrated the strongest independent association with good SRH.ConclusionsWe conclude that when examining gender differences in predictors of SRH, the similarities are greater than the differences between Brazilian and Chilean older adults. In both countries, physical health was the most important predictor of SRH. In addition, absence of depression was the strongest predictor of good health in older Brazilian adults.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Campos et al.; licensee BioMed Central. 2015