What influences individual perception of health? Using machine learning to disentangle self-perceived health

OBJECTIVE: to identify the prevalence and intensity of chronic pain among elderly people of the community and to analyze associations with the self-perceived health status.METHOD: cross-sectional study with a populational sample (n=934), conducted through household interviews in the city of Goiânia, Brazil. The intensity of chronic pain (existing for 6 months or more) was measured using a numerical scale (0-10) and the self-perceived health through a verbal scale (very good, good, fair, poor, very poor). For the statistical analysis, the absolute frequency and percentage, CI (95%), Chi-square test, Odds ratio, and regression analysis were used. Significance of 5%.RESULTS: The prevalence of chronic pain was 52.8% [CI (95%):49.4-56.1]; most frequently located in the lower limbs (34.5%) and lumbar region (29.5%); with high or the worst possible intensity for 54.6% of the elderly people. The occurrence of chronic pain was associated with (p<0.0001) a worse self-perception of health (OR=4.2:2.5-7.0), a greater number of chronic diseases (OR=1.8:1.2-2.7), joint disease (OR=3.5:2.4-5.1) and the female gender (OR=2.3:1.7-3.0). A lower intensity of chronic pain was associated with a better self-perception of health (p<0.0001).CONCLUSION: the majority of the elderly people of the community reported chronic pain, of a severe intensity, and located in areas related to movement activities, thus influencing the morbidity and mortality of this population.

Download Full-text

Self-perception in health and quality of life: association with social determinants

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/ckaa166.447 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽

Author(s):

S M Aguiar Lemos ◽

L J Vasconcellos ◽

R Tavares ◽

A G Escarce ◽

E M Melo

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

High School ◽

Social Determinants ◽

Perceived Health ◽

Work And Family ◽

Minimum Wages ◽

Self Perception ◽

Medical Consultations ◽

Perception Of Health

Abstract Objective To investigate self-perceived health, quality of life and its association with social determinants in adults and the elderly. Methods Observational analytical cross-sectional study, with a probabilistic sample of 1,129 participants, adults and seniors, stratified by conglomerates, living in a municipality in Minas Gerais, Brazil. The response variables were the questions: 'How do you evaluate your health in the last two months?' and 'How do you evaluate your quality of life in the last two months?'. The explanatory variables were sociodemographic and technical-assistance data. For data analysis, a descriptive analysis of categorical and continuous variables and an association analysis (Chi-Square Pearson test) were performed, statistically significant those with a value of p0.05. Results The majority were female, classified the quality of life as good and presented positive self-perception of health. Most were aged between 30 and 39 years old, attended high school, were married, had formal work and family income of up to one minimum wage. The association between self-perceived health and quality of life with social determinants revealed that the interviewees who tended to present positive self-perception of health were female, had up to 39 years of age, studied until high school, received up to five minimum wages and had had between one and two medical consultations in the last 12 months. Regarding quality of life, the interviewees who reported there were good were female, between 30 and 39 years old, with high school, were married, had formal work, received up to two minimum wages and had between one and two medical consultations at last year. The univariate analysis revealed that respondents who said their health was positive also rated the quality of life as good. Conclusions In the sample studied, it was observed that positive self-perception of health is associated with good quality of life. Key messages Health public. Quality of life.

Download Full-text

Factors that interfere with total physical inactivity in overweight women

Rev Rene ◽

10.15253/2175-6783.20212261717 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 ◽

pp. e61717

Author(s):

Fernanda Carneiro Mussi ◽

Taise Santos do Nascimento ◽

Cátia Suely Palmeira ◽

Francisco José Gondim Pitanga ◽

Flávia Silva Ferreira ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Physical Inactivity ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Perceived Health ◽

Bivariate Analysis ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Significance Level ◽

Overweight Women ◽

Promotion Policies ◽

Perception Of Health

Objective: to investigate the variables that interfere with total physical inactivity in overweight women. Methods: cross-sectional research that collected sociodemographic data, self-perceived health, self-efficacy for physical activity, weight, and height in 142 women. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire was used to evaluate physical activity. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used. A 5% statistical significance level was adopted. Results: the prevalence of total physical inactivity was 34.5%. A significant association between total physical inactivity and age was found in the bivariate analysis. In the multivariate analysis, only women with regular and poor self-perceived health showed an increase of 124% and 150%, respectively, of total physical inactivity. Conclusion: physical inactivity was associated with regular and poor self-perception of health, being a health parameter for the development of health promotion policies and actions.

Download Full-text

Relation of Employment Status, Behavioral and Social Conditions on Individual Perception of Health in a Region of Slovakia: Pilot Study

Central European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.21101/cejph.a3579 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 18 (2) ◽

pp. 70-75

Author(s):

Eva Gallová ◽

Jarmila Pekarčíková ◽

Daniela Marcinková ◽

Marek Majdan ◽

Lucia Haváčová ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Employment Status ◽

Social Conditions ◽

Individual Perception ◽

Perception Of Health

Download Full-text

Personality and the perception of health in the general population

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291701005104 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 32 (2) ◽

pp. 325-332 ◽

Cited By ~ 89

Author(s):

RENEE GOODWIN ◽

GUNNAR ENGSTROM

Keyword(s):

Health Outcomes ◽

Perceived Health ◽

Good Health ◽

Openness To Experience ◽

Personality Characteristics ◽

Poor Health ◽

Personality Factors ◽

Medical Problems ◽

Perception Of Health ◽

The Relationship

Background. Several population-based studies have shown that self-perceived health is a powerful predictor of health outcomes. The extent to which self-perceived health is associated with personality characteristics is, however, largely unknown. We aimed to study the relationship between self-perceived health and personality among adults in the community.Method. Data were drawn from the Midlife Development in the United States Survey, a representative sample of adults age 25–74. MANOVA was used to determine the relationship between self-perception of health and personality using the five-factor model.Results. Personality factors were significantly associated with perception of poor health. Among those without self-reported medical problems (N = 834), openness to experience, extraversion and conscientiousness were associated with perception of good health, while neuroticism was associated with the perception of poor health. In subjects with self-reported medical problems (N = 2772), high scores on agreeableness, openness to experience, extraversion and conscientiousness, and low neuroticism scores were associated with perception of good health. These associations remained significant after adjustments for age, gender, race, marital status and education.Conclusions. Self-perceived health is strongly associated with personality characteristics, both in subjects with and without self-reported medical problems. It is suggested that personality characteristics could contribute to the previously reported associations between self-perceived health and health outcomes.

Download Full-text

Timed up and go test and self-perceived health in elderly: population-based study

Brazilian Journal of Kinanthropometry and Human Performance ◽

10.5007/1980-0037.2018v20n3p247 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 20 (3) ◽

pp. 247-257 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Rosilene Andrade Silva Rodrigues ◽

Margarete Marques Teodózio ◽

Mariano Martínez Espinosa ◽

Waléria Christiane Rezende Fett ◽

Claudia Duarte Melo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Functional Dependence ◽

Perceived Health ◽

The Elderly ◽

Population Based ◽

Systemic Hypertension ◽

Timed Up And Go ◽

Population Based Study ◽

Need To Evaluate ◽

Perception Of Health ◽

Elderly Living

Due to the aging process, chronic diseases arise with increased use of medications and there is a need to evaluate the elderly to prevent functional dependence and falls. The aim of this study was to compare gender, sociodemographic characteristics, fall occurrences, self-reported diseases, quantity of drugs with timed up and go test (TUG) and TUG-cognitive, and to associate these factors with the self-perception of health of the elderly in the community. Were selected 513 elderly people, with 384 that completed the TUG test to evaluate the functional capacity. There was difference between the female and male, in the variables: age-group 70 to 79 years (p=0.036) ≥ 80 years (p=0.013); per capita income in the female ≤ 1 minimum wage (p=0.005) and >2 (p=0.013), falls (p=0.001), systemic hypertension (p<0.001), arthritis or rheumatism (p=0.033), depression (p=0.048), osteoporosis (p<0.001), medications 3 to 4 (p=0.008), self-perceived health (p=0.030) and in the TUG (p<0.001) and TUG-cognitive (p=0.002). The prevalence by Poisson regression Robust (RPa), the variables associated with health self-perceived: heart disease (p=0,047), stroke (p=<0,001), osteoporosis (p=0,013) and TUG motor (p=0,028). Women had more health problems, weakness and poor physical performance, indicating the need for special attention as the aging aspects. So, TUG test can be useful tool for risk evaluate of falls in the elderly living in the community.

Download Full-text

Association between social capital and self-perception of health in Brazilian adults

Revista de Saúde Pública ◽

10.1590/s0034-8910.2015049005116 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 49 (0) ◽

pp. 1-9

Author(s):

Mathias Roberto Loch ◽

Regina Kazue Tanno de Souza ◽

Arthur Eumann Mesas ◽

Alberto Durán González ◽

Fernando Rodriguez-Artalejo

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Social Capital ◽

Leisure Time ◽

Vegetable Consumption ◽

Perceived Health ◽

Self Perception ◽

Community Activities ◽

Perception Of Health ◽

The Relationship ◽

Significant Mediator

OBJECTIVE To investigate the association between social capital and social capital and self-perception of health based on examining the influence of health-related behaviors as possible mediators of this relationship. METHODS A cross-sectional study was used with 1,081 subjects, which is representative of the population of individuals aged 40 years or more in a medium-sized city in Southern Brazil. The subjects who perceived their health as fine, bad or very bad were considered to have a negative self-perception of their health. The social capital indicators were: number of friends, people from whom they could borrow money from when needed; the extent of trust in community members; whether or not members of the community helped each other; community safety; and extent of participation in community activities. The behaviors were: physical activity during leisure time, fruits and vegetable consumption, tobacco use and alcohol abuse. The odds ratios (OR) and confidence intervals (CI) 95% were calculated by binary logistic regression. The significance of mediation was verified using the Sobel test. RESULTS Following adjustment for demographic and clinical variables, subjects with fewer friends (OR = 1.39, 95%CI 1.08;1.80), those who perceived less frequently help from people in the neighborhood (OR = 1.30, 95%CI 1.01;1.68), who saw the violent neighborhood (OR = 1.33, 95%CI 1.01;1.74) and who had not participated in any community activity (OR = 1.39, 95%CI 1.07;1.80) had more negative self-perception of their health. Physical activity during leisure time was a significant mediator in the relationship between all social capital indicators (except for the borrowed money variable) and self-perceived health. Fruit and vegetable consumption was a significant mediator of the relationship between the extent of participation in community activities and self-perceived health. Tobacco use and alcohol abuse did not seem to have a mediating role in any relationship. CONCLUSIONS Lifestyle seems to only partially explain the relationship between social capital and self-perceived health. Among the investigated behaviors, physical activity during leisure time is what seems to have the most important role as a mediator of this relationship.

Download Full-text

Predicting fear and perceived health during the COVID-19 pandemic using machine learning: A cross-national longitudinal study

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0247997 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (3) ◽

pp. e0247997

Author(s):

Stephanie Josephine Eder ◽

David Steyrl ◽

Michal Mikolaj Stefanczyk ◽

Michał Pieniak ◽

Judit Martínez Molina ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Machine Learning ◽

Environmental Factors ◽

Psychological Factors ◽

Perceived Health ◽

Macro Level ◽

Perceived Vulnerability ◽

Viral Spread ◽

Starting Point ◽

Micro Level ◽

Perceived Vulnerability To Disease

During medical pandemics, protective behaviors need to be motivated by effective communication, where finding predictors of fear and perceived health is of critical importance. The varying trajectories of the COVID-19 pandemic in different countries afford the opportunity to assess the unique influence of ‘macro-level’ environmental factors and ‘micro-level’ psychological variables on both fear and perceived health. Here, we investigate predictors of fear and perceived health using machine learning as lockdown restrictions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic were introduced in Austria, Spain, Poland and Czech Republic. Over a seven-week period, 533 participants completed weekly self-report surveys which measured the target variables subjective fear of the virus and perceived health, in addition to potential predictive variables related to psychological factors, social factors, perceived vulnerability to disease (PVD), and economic circumstances. Viral spread, mortality and governmental responses were further included in the analysis as potential environmental predictors. Results revealed that our models could accurately predict fear of the virus (accounting for approximately 23% of the variance) using predictive factors such as worrying about shortages in food supplies and perceived vulnerability to disease (PVD), where interestingly, environmental factors such as spread of the virus and governmental restrictions did not contribute to this prediction. Furthermore, our results revealed that perceived health could be predicted using PVD, physical exercise, attachment anxiety and age as input features, albeit with smaller effect sizes. Taken together, our results emphasize the importance of ‘micro-level’ psychological factors, as opposed to ‘macro-level’ environmental factors, when predicting fear and perceived health, and offer a starting point for more extensive research on the influences of pathogen threat and governmental restrictions on the psychology of fear and health.

Download Full-text

Dimensions of Leisure and Perceived Health in Young University Students

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17238750 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (23) ◽

pp. 8750

Author(s):

Montserrat Andrés-Villas ◽

Diego Díaz-Milanés ◽

Raquel Remesal-Cobreros ◽

Mercedes Vélez-Toral ◽

Pedro J. Pérez-Moreno

Keyword(s):

Risk Behaviors ◽

Direct Relationship ◽

Leisure Activities ◽

Perceived Health ◽

Cluster Sampling ◽

Random Cluster ◽

Leisure Sports ◽

The University ◽

Perception Of Health ◽

The Relationship

The aim of this study was to analyze the main leisure habits of students at the University of Huelva and the relationship with perceived health by grouping the various activities into components whilst also evaluating possible gender differences. The sample was selected through random cluster sampling and was composed of 903 students from various courses and degrees. Of the sample, 73.8% were female and 26.2% were male, with a mean age of 20.82 years. The participants responded to items measuring perceived health and the inventory of leisure activities extracted from the INJUVE (Spanish Youth Observatory) survey. The results obtained offered a solution of four components, grouping the activities into passive leisure, festive leisure, sports–competitive leisure and cultural leisure. Passive leisure was the most practiced and cultural leisure the least practiced. Statistically significant differences were observed between men and women in terms of the sports–competitive component and in the perception of health. In addition, a direct relationship was found between the sports–competitive dimension and health perception. These results support the existence of a “techno-active” profile in males and should be considered in the creation of university policies linked to health promotion or the prevention of risk behaviors.

Download Full-text

Impacto da autopercepção de saúde em longevos com incontinência urinária

Scientia Medica ◽

10.15448/1980-6108.2019.1.32831 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 29 (1) ◽

pp. 32831

Author(s):

Luisa Braga Jorge ◽

Bruna Borba Neves ◽

Josemara De Paula Rocha ◽

Vivian Ulrich ◽

Ângelo José Gonçalves Bós

Keyword(s):

Urinary Incontinence ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Perceived Health ◽

Self Perception ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Functional Activities ◽

Previous Diagnosis ◽

Adjusted Logistic Regression ◽

Perception Of Health ◽

The Impact

AIMS: To verify the impact of self-perceived health on the chance of developing urinary incontinence in very-old.METHODS: This is a cross-sectional and analytical study with elderly individuals aged 90 years and over. The statistical and analytical variables (sex, marital status, continence, age, depressive symptoms, cognition, comorbidities and ability to perform activities) were analyzed analytical and descriptive statistics (frequencies, mean and standard deviation, univariate and health self-perception adjusted logistic regression analysis).RESULTS: There were 182 participants, 71% women. The previous diagnosis of depression, the score of depressive symptoms and the percentage of ease for functional and basic activities were related to self-perception of health (p<0.05). The loss of urine, however, was not related to self-perceived health. The self-perception of health influenced the effect of the variables previous diagnosis of depression, number of depressive symptoms, Mini-Mental State Examination score and number of comorbidities on the chance of urinary incontinence in thepresence of these variables. Males, widowhood and ease of performance of basic and functional activities were significantly related to urinary incontinence regardless of the adjustment of health self-perception.CONCLUSIONS: There was no relationship between urinary incontinence and health self-perception. However, health self-perception influenced the effect of sociodemographic and clinical variables on the chance of having urinary incontinence.

Download Full-text