The Perceived Health Status from Young Adults to Elderly: Results of the MEHM Questionnaire within the CUORE Project Survey 2008–2012

Claudia Giacomozzi, Luigi Palmieri, Lidia Gargiulo, Cinzia Lo Noce, Laura Iannucci, Anna Di Lonardo, Serena Vannucchi, Graziano Onder, Furio Colivicchi, Simona Giampaoli and Chiara Donfrancesco
Additional contact information
Claudia Giacomozzi: Department of Cardiovascular and Endocrine-Metabolic Diseases and Aging, National Institute of Health, 00161 Rome, Italy
Luigi Palmieri: Department of Cardiovascular and Endocrine-Metabolic Diseases and Aging, National Institute of Health, 00161 Rome, Italy
Lidia Gargiulo: Department for Statistical Production—Directorate for Social Statistics and Welfare, Italian National Statistical Institute, 00100 Rome, Italy
Cinzia Lo Noce: Department of Cardiovascular and Endocrine-Metabolic Diseases and Aging, National Institute of Health, 00161 Rome, Italy
Laura Iannucci: Department for Statistical Production—Directorate for Social Statistics and Welfare, Italian National Statistical Institute, 00100 Rome, Italy
Anna Di Lonardo: Department of Cardiovascular and Endocrine-Metabolic Diseases and Aging, National Institute of Health, 00161 Rome, Italy
Serena Vannucchi: Department of Cardiovascular and Endocrine-Metabolic Diseases and Aging, National Institute of Health, 00161 Rome, Italy
Graziano Onder: Department of Cardiovascular and Endocrine-Metabolic Diseases and Aging, National Institute of Health, 00161 Rome, Italy
Furio Colivicchi: National Association Hospital Cardiologists—Health Care Foundation, 50121 Florence, Italy
Simona Giampaoli: Department of Cardiovascular and Endocrine-Metabolic Diseases and Aging, National Institute of Health, 00161 Rome, Italy
Chiara Donfrancesco: Department of Cardiovascular and Endocrine-Metabolic Diseases and Aging, National Institute of Health, 00161 Rome, Italy

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 17, 1-17

Abstract: Improving healthy life years requires an effective understanding and management of the process of healthy ageing. Assessing the perceived health status and its determinants is a relevant step in this process. This study explored the potentialities of the Minimum European Health Module (MEHM) to cope with this critical issue. Investigation was conducted on 4798 Italian residents (49.7% women, aged 35–79 years), participating in the CUORE Project Health Examination Survey 2008–2012. The three MEHM questions—perceived health status, chronic morbidity and activity limitations—were examined also in association with living context, seasonality, marital status and level of education. A higher prevalence of health status negative perception was associated with older age (9% and 24% respectively in men and women aged 35–44 years; 46% and 61% respectively in men and women aged 75–79 years). In women, this negative perception was higher than in men in any age group, and reached 50% in the 65–69 age group, 10 years earlier than in men. For both sexes, the level of education had a strong impact on this negative perception (odds ratio 2.32 and 2.72 in men and women respectively), while “living alone” played a greater impact in women than in men. MEHM activity limitations subscale was as much as 30% higher for questionnaires answered during the hottest months. This study identified potential predictors of perceived health status in adults aged 35–79 years, which can be used to target interventions aimed at improving self-perceived health status.

Keywords: perceived health status; health behaviors; prevention; health examination survey (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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