Gender Differences and Trends of Self-Rated Health in Population Aged 25-64 years from 1988 to 2017
Author(s):
Gafarov VV, Panov DO, Gromova EA, Krymov EA, Gagulin IV1,2 and Gafarova AV
The aim: To determine gender differences in the dynamic of self-rated health in an open population of 25-64 years over a long-term period - 29 years in Russia / Siberia (Novosibirsk).
Methods: Within the framework of the screening in 1988-89 under the WHO MONICA-psychosocial (MOPSY) program (n=1676, 49.5% males, mean age 44.1±0.4 years), MOPSY screening in 1994-95 (n=1527, 43% males, mean age 44.85 ± 0.4 years), in 2003-2005 under the international project HAPIEE (n=1650, 34.9% males, mean age 54.25±0.2 years), in 2013-2016 (n=975, 43.8% males, mean age 34.5±0,4 years) and 2016-2017 (n=663, 41.3% years 51.95±0.32 years) within the framework of the budgetary theme No. AAAA-A17-117112850280-2, random representative samples of men and women in one of districts in Novosibirsk were examined. Self-rated health was assessed using the questionnaire “Knowledge and attitude towards own’s health”.
Results: The proportion of people with negative self-reported health in the open population was extremely high in 1988. The share of women who consider themselves healthy was 13.7%, men - 37.9%. Gender differences increased with age. Only 10.5% of women and 29.7% of men had no complaints about their health. In 2013, there was an increase in positive health estimation among males and females and a decrease in the frequency of complaints, especially in female part of the population - by 2-2.5 times. The favorable trend which began in 2013 continued in 2017, when men and women more often self-esteemed own health status as “good” compared to earlier periods of observation. The proportion of women believed that taking comprehensive care of their health rose to 15% by 2017, equaling that of men. With the exception of 2013, women were more likely than men to report that “taking care of their health is not enough”, although by 2017 this proportion had dropped to 20%.
Conclusions: Sex differences in self-rated health increase with age, but the frequency of health complaints increases proportionally in men and women. There were found favorable tendencies in the decrease in the frequency of negative assessments of health, especially in female population. Further research is required to determine the stability of this trend.