Lifestyle Behaviors and Self-Rated Health: The Living for Health Program

Abstract

Background. Lack of adherence to dietary and physical activity guidelines has been linked to an increase in chronic diseases in the United States (US). The aim of this study was to assess the association of lifestyle behaviors with self-rated health (SRH). Methods. This cross-sectional study used self-reported data from Living for Health Program (N = 1,701) which was conducted from 2008 to 2012 in 190 health fair events in South Florida, US. Results. Significantly higher percent of females as compared to males were classified as obese (35.4% versus 27.0%), reported poor/fair SRH (23.4% versus 15.0%), and were less physically active (33.9% versus 25.4%). Adjusted logistic regression models indicated that both females and males were more likely to report poor/fair SRH if they consumed ≤2 servings of fruits and vegetables per day (OR = 2.14, 95% CI 1.30–3.54; OR = 2.86, 95% CI 1.12–7.35, resp.) and consumed mostly high fat foods (OR = 1.58, 95% CI 1.03–2.43; OR = 3.37, 95% CI 1.67–2.43, resp.). The association of SRH with less physical activity was only significant in females (OR = 1.66, 95% CI 1.17–2.35). Conclusion. Gender differences in health behaviors should be considered in designing and monitoring lifestyle interventions to prevent cardiovascular diseases.

Self‐Rated Health Status and Risk of Ischemic Heart Disease in the China Kadoorie Biobank Study: A Population‐Based Cohort Study

“…Culture, lifestyle, environment, and disease patterns were all different in different cities, 26,27 which may also potentially influence both SRH and heart disease. [28][29][30][31][32][33] However, positive associations existed across all subgroups, and SRH may be a reliable measurement for predicting IHD risk.…”

Subjective Happiness, Health and Quality of Life and Their Sociocultural Correlates among Younger Population in Malawi

“…Led by the growing understanding of the nonbiological determinants of health, researchers and clinicians are placing higher emphasis on the factors embedded within the environment in which individuals live and function (Braveman and Gottlieb 2014). The importance of socioeconomic, environmental, and cultural factors on health outcomes are better understood in terms of their role in providing the necessary conditions required for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, avoiding risk factors, and being able to seek proper care when facing health issues (Zarini et al 2014;Bishwajit et al 2017;Gate et al 2016). These factors are broadly classified to encompass the social, cultural, behavioural, and environmental aspects of health, quality of life, and well-being, especially among the adult population.…”

“…This difficulty was greatly dealt with by the development of the single-item question by the World Health Organization (WHO). Self-rated health (SRH) is now a widely used measure to capture the overall sociocultural condition of individual health and has been found to be a strong predictor of health condition and mortality among individuals living with and without disability and chronic conditions, such as cardiovascular diseases and functional ability (Zarini et al 2014;Idler and Kasl 1995;Idler and Benyamini 1997;DeSalvo et al 2006).…”

“…Apart from that, SRH is also strongly associated with quality of life (QoL), which is a measure of general well-being that reflects an individual's satisfaction with health, education, employment, living and social environment, relationships, and safety (Zarini et al 2014;Idler and Kasl 1995;Idler and Benyamini 1997;DeSalvo et al 2006;Hays et al 2015;Balogun et al 2017). Over the course of the last few decades, both SRH and QoL have been growing in popularity, especially among public health researchers in high-income countries.…”

“…The relatively higher disease burden, shorter life expectancy, and lower living standards in developing countries can be interpreted in terms of sociocultural and environmental determinants, such as age structure, gender disparities, low literacy rates, living environment, occupation and economic freedom, and the values and norms that guide peoples' beliefs and behaviour (Agorastos et al 2014;Galavotti and Schnell 1994;Tsai et al 2017; Development Impact Guest Blogger 2016; Decker and Constantine 2011; Gooneratne and Vitiello 2014). For instance, individuals with a higher socioeconomic status are more likely to be able to afford better housing, lead a healthy lifestyle, and enjoy higher quality of health and life compared to those in the lower socioeconomic strata (Zarini et al 2014;Bishwajit et al 2017; Amo-Adjei and Kumi-Kyereme 2015). So far, only one longitudinal study conducted in a rural setting in Malawi from the perspective of subjective well-being found that higher income was associated with better general health status and subjective well-being of the participants (Chin 2010).…”