Perceived health in a population based sample of victims of the 1956 polio epidemic in the Netherlands

Abstract

Objective: To investigate perceived health and its relation to residual paresis from polio, late onset neuromuscular symptoms following poliomyelitis (LSP), and sex, in a population based sample of polio survivors. Methods: 350 subjects traced from the notification records of the Dutch 1956 polio epidemic received a mailed questionnaire on residual polio paresis and new neuromuscular symptoms. Perceived health was measured using the Nottingham health profile. Respondents with new muscle weakness and new neuromuscular symptoms were considered as cases with LSP.Results: Health problems were perceived by 151 of the 260 respondents. Respondents with residual paresis had significantly more health problems than clinically recovered respondents for the Nottingham health profile category of physical mobility. The perceived health of respondents with LSP (45.5%) was significantly worse than that of respondents without LSP for all the health profile categories. Among the respondents with LSP, health status did not differ between those with residual paresis and those who had recovered, except for physical mobility. Female respondents with LSP reported worse health status than male respondents with regard to physical mobility and social isolation. Conclusions: In this population based sample, health problems were frequently reported. They were mainly related to late onset neuromuscular symptoms following poliomyelitis, which were perceived by a substantial proportion of all polio survivors-not only subjects with polio residuals but also individuals who (subjectively) had recovered from polio.

Perceived Health and Gambling Behavior of Inmates: A Review of the Literature

“…Globally, imprisonment ranges from 30 in India, 119 in China, and 628 in Russia, to 750 in the United States per prevalence rates, and use of services; however, relying on these traditional indicators of health may not provide the whole picture when considering inmate health problems (Friestad, 2010). Individual perception of health status is becoming an important addition to the traditional indicators of health, and includes physical, social, and emotional problems (Nollet et al, 2002). Even though inmate populations have been growing in the United States, little is known about how they perceive their health status since they have been excluded from most national health surveys (Binswanger, Krueger, & Steiner, 2009).…”

Living with polio and postpolio syndrome in the United Kingdom

“…Research in this area has tended to focus upon the impact of PPS on health status and functional health rather than its effect on people's lives (6). What is of interest is that published research studies on polio and PPS have some similarities and differences, which may reflect the culture and value system in which these people live.…”

Post-polio syndrome: clinical manifestations and cerebrospinal fluid markers

“…To date, the etiology of PPS remains elusive. Population studies have estimated the prevalence of PPS among polio survivors to be between 15 and 80% [9,[14][15][16][17][18]. Both clinical and population studies have assessed a high incidence of new systemic, neurological and muscular complaints in individuals with previous poliomyelitis, the frequency of which shows variations probably due to a lack of homogeneity among different studies (Table 1) [9,16,[19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27].…”