Factors associated with self-reported health: implications for screening level community-based health and environmental studies
Abstract Background Advocates for environmental justice, local, state, and national public health officials, exposure scientists, need broad-based health indices to identify vulnerable communities. Longitudinal studies show that perception of current health status predicts subsequent mortality, sugg...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2016-07-01
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| Series: | BMC Public Health |
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| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-016-3321-5 |
| _version_ | 1818309098038362112 |
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| author | Jane E. Gallagher Adrien A. Wilkie Alissa Cordner Edward E. Hudgens Andrew J. Ghio Rebecca J. Birch Timothy J. Wade |
| author_facet | Jane E. Gallagher Adrien A. Wilkie Alissa Cordner Edward E. Hudgens Andrew J. Ghio Rebecca J. Birch Timothy J. Wade |
| author_sort | Jane E. Gallagher |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Advocates for environmental justice, local, state, and national public health officials, exposure scientists, need broad-based health indices to identify vulnerable communities. Longitudinal studies show that perception of current health status predicts subsequent mortality, suggesting that self-reported health (SRH) may be useful in screening-level community assessments. This paper evaluates whether SRH is an appropriate surrogate indicator of health status by evaluating relationships between SRH and sociodemographic, lifestyle, and health care factors as well as serological indicators of nutrition, health risk, and environmental exposures. Methods Data were combined from the 2003–2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys for 1372 nonsmoking 20–50 year olds. Ordinal and binary logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios and 95 % confidence intervals of reporting poorer health based on measures of nutrition, health condition, environmental contaminants, and sociodemographic, health care, and lifestyle factors. Results Poorer SRH was associated with several serological measures of nutrition, health condition, and biomarkers of toluene, cadmium, lead, and mercury exposure. Race/ethnicity, income, education, access to health care, food security, exercise, poor mental and physical health, prescription drug use, and multiple health outcome measures (e.g., diabetes, thyroid problems, asthma) were also associated with poorer SRH. Conclusion Based on the many significant associations between SRH and serological assays of health risk, sociodemographic measures, health care access and utilization, and lifestyle factors, SRH appears to be a useful health indicator with potential relevance for screening level community-based health and environmental studies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T07:24:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7f599f9c9b7e49a180be37baa9796630 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2458 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T07:24:46Z |
| publishDate | 2016-07-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-7f599f9c9b7e49a180be37baa97966302022-12-21T23:55:19ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582016-07-0116111510.1186/s12889-016-3321-5Factors associated with self-reported health: implications for screening level community-based health and environmental studiesJane E. Gallagher0Adrien A. Wilkie1Alissa Cordner2Edward E. Hudgens3Andrew J. Ghio4Rebecca J. Birch5Timothy J. Wade6Environmental Public Health Division, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyOak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Environmental Public Health Division, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection AgencySociology Department, Whitman CollegeEnvironmental Public Health Division, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyEnvironmental Public Health Division, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyWestatEnvironmental Public Health Division, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyAbstract Background Advocates for environmental justice, local, state, and national public health officials, exposure scientists, need broad-based health indices to identify vulnerable communities. Longitudinal studies show that perception of current health status predicts subsequent mortality, suggesting that self-reported health (SRH) may be useful in screening-level community assessments. This paper evaluates whether SRH is an appropriate surrogate indicator of health status by evaluating relationships between SRH and sociodemographic, lifestyle, and health care factors as well as serological indicators of nutrition, health risk, and environmental exposures. Methods Data were combined from the 2003–2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys for 1372 nonsmoking 20–50 year olds. Ordinal and binary logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios and 95 % confidence intervals of reporting poorer health based on measures of nutrition, health condition, environmental contaminants, and sociodemographic, health care, and lifestyle factors. Results Poorer SRH was associated with several serological measures of nutrition, health condition, and biomarkers of toluene, cadmium, lead, and mercury exposure. Race/ethnicity, income, education, access to health care, food security, exercise, poor mental and physical health, prescription drug use, and multiple health outcome measures (e.g., diabetes, thyroid problems, asthma) were also associated with poorer SRH. Conclusion Based on the many significant associations between SRH and serological assays of health risk, sociodemographic measures, health care access and utilization, and lifestyle factors, SRH appears to be a useful health indicator with potential relevance for screening level community-based health and environmental studies.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-016-3321-5Self-reported healthScreening level health assessmentClinical measuresMetal mixtures analysesNHANES |
| spellingShingle | Jane E. Gallagher Adrien A. Wilkie Alissa Cordner Edward E. Hudgens Andrew J. Ghio Rebecca J. Birch Timothy J. Wade Factors associated with self-reported health: implications for screening level community-based health and environmental studies BMC Public Health Self-reported health Screening level health assessment Clinical measures Metal mixtures analyses NHANES |
| title | Factors associated with self-reported health: implications for screening level community-based health and environmental studies |
| title_full | Factors associated with self-reported health: implications for screening level community-based health and environmental studies |
| title_fullStr | Factors associated with self-reported health: implications for screening level community-based health and environmental studies |
| title_full_unstemmed | Factors associated with self-reported health: implications for screening level community-based health and environmental studies |
| title_short | Factors associated with self-reported health: implications for screening level community-based health and environmental studies |
| title_sort | factors associated with self reported health implications for screening level community based health and environmental studies |
| topic | Self-reported health Screening level health assessment Clinical measures Metal mixtures analyses NHANES |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-016-3321-5 |
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