Abstract
A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1,246 adults and senior men and women in Pelotas (RS), Brasil to evaluate the negative self-perception of health among Primary Health Care users. The prevalence of negative self-perception of health was reported by 41.6% of respondents. Women, those who were unemployed, who reported a diagnosis of three or more chronic noncommunicable diseases, who were food insecure and did not engage in physical activity reported a higher proportion of negative self-perceived health. Users with at least higher education level and those whose households had four or more residents were less predisposed to the outcome. The high prevalence of negative self-perceived health in this population, as well as the associations found, indicate the need for a better understanding of the influence of these factors on the search for care and, consequently, on adherence to treatment.
Highlights
The health-disease process involves objective and subjective aspects that can be analyzed by health services from different perspectives
A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1,246 adults and senior men and women in Pelotas (RS), Brasil to evaluate the negative self-perception of health among Primary Health Care users
The predisposing factors are those related to the susceptibility of individuals, according to their demographic and socioeconomic characteristics; training related to access to these services; and, the most proximal determinant of use is the individual health status[1,2]
Summary
The health-disease process involves objective and subjective aspects that can be analyzed by health services from different perspectives. According to Andersen’s Behavioral Model, the use of services would be associated with predisposing, training and health needs factors. The predisposing factors are those related to the susceptibility of individuals, according to their demographic and socioeconomic characteristics; training related to access to these services; and, the most proximal determinant of use is the individual health status[1,2]. The health status of the individual, in turn, can be described objectively and dichotomically as the absence or presence of disease and, subjectively, by self-perceived health. Selfperception has been used as a valid indicator of the quality of life, of morbidity and diminished functionality, analyzing physical, cognitive and emotional aspects and, mainly, as a good predictor of mortality. The prevalence of negative self-perception of health in the general population of adults and the elderly has been around 20% both in studies conducted in Brazil and other countries, and is generally higher in women, people with more advanced age, with lower income and schooling, higher morbidity and inadequate lifestyle[3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10]
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