Abstract
Introduction: Self-rated health is a multidimensional health indicator and a predictor of adverse events in old age. Answers to this assessment are influenced by social, cultural and personality factors.Aim: Exploring common and distinctive characteristics of Brazilian and Portuguese older adults aged 70 and over regarding positive self-rated health according to sociodemographic variables, to functional capacity, to independent performance of basic activities of daily living and to neuroticism, as well as analyzing associations between positive self-rated health and these variables.Methods: The present paper is a comparative and cross-sectional study based on secondary data contained in the databases of the FIBRA (Frailty in Brazilian Older Adults) follow-up study, with 418 Brazilian older adults, and of the DIA (From Disability to Activity: The Challenge of Aging) study, with 380 Portuguese older adults. Both samples had higher percentages of women: 68.4% for Portugal and 69.9% for Brazil. The Brazilian sample had a higher average age (80.31 ± 4.67) than the Portuguese sample (76.80 ± 5.28).Results: The Portuguese older adults had better overall cognition scores, higher handgrip strength and higher neuroticism values than the Brazilian older adults. In the simple and multiple logistic regression analyses, it was found that among Brazilian older adults, subjects with higher scores in the MMSE (OR 1.16; 95% CI 1.08–1.24), regardless of ADL performance (OR 2.13; 95% CI 1.31–3.47) and with scores 24–29 (OR 1.92; 95% CI 1.07–3.43) or 11–23 (OR 2.09; 95% CI 1.15–3.79) in neuroticism were more likely to assess their health as very good/good. On the other hand, the Portuguese older adults with intermediate 24–9 (OR 2.38; 95% CI 1.31–4.33) or low 11–23 (OR 5.31; 95% CI 2.69–10.45) scores in neuroticism were more likely to evaluate their health as very good/good.Conclusion: Based on the findings of the present study and on the existing literature, it may be said that it is possible for people to age while keeping a positive perception of their own health, even in advanced old age; comparisons between the above-mentioned countries, however, point to the need for investments in healthcare systems so that older adults may enjoy greater physical independence and improved mental health.
Highlights
Self-rated health is a multidimensional health indicator and a predictor of adverse events in old age
There were statistically significant differences related to the proportion of participants aged 70 to 79 in the two samples: in Portugal, individuals aged 70 to 79 prevailed (X = 76.80 ± 5.28), whereas in Brazil there was a higher proportion of octogenarians (X = 80.31 ± 4.67)
In Portugal there was a higher percentage of older adults living alone than in Brazil, where more including family arrangements predominated
Summary
Self-rated health is a multidimensional health indicator and a predictor of adverse events in old age. Self-rated health represents a summary statement about the ways in which various aspects of health, both subjective and objective, are combined according to the subject’s own perception [1] This variable is widely used in large population surveys on health and well-being, consolidating itself as a multidimensional indicator of health and a good predictor of adverse events in older adults [2]. Answers to this assessment are influenced by social, cultural and personality aspects [3]. It greatly depends on how older individuals conceive of the notion of good physical health during aging, as well as on how they deal with feelings of control, autonomy and functionality in their daily lives [6]
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