Abstract
BackgroundSingle item questions about self ratings of overall health status are widely used in both military and civilian surveys. Limited information is available to date that examines what relationships exist between self-rated health, health status and health related behaviors among relatively young, healthy individuals.MethodsThe current study uses the population of active duty United States Air Force recruits (N = 31,108). Participants completed surveys that asked about health behaviors and health states and were rated their health on a continuum from poor to excellent.ResultsRatings of health were consistently lower for those who used tobacco (F = 241.7, p < .001), reported binge drinking (F = 69.0, p < .001), reported drinking and driving (F = 19.4, p < .001), reported taking health risks (F = 109.4, p < .001), were depressed (F = 256.1, p < .001) and were overweight (F = 39.5, p < .001).ConclusionGiven the consistent relationship between self-rated overall health and factors important to military health and fitness, self-rated health appears to be a valid measure of health status among young military troops.
Highlights
Single item questions about self ratings of overall health status are widely used in both military and civilian surveys
Single item self-assessments of health are the most widely used measures of health status [1]. These self-assessments are used in many national surveys in the United States (US), such as the National Health Interview Survey [2], National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey [3], and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System [4]
The Health Care Survey of DoD Beneficiaries [8] assesses a broad range of healthcare issues such as the use of preventive services while the Health Enrollment Assessment Review (HEAR) was developed to identify the health status of the military population [9]
Summary
Those former smokers who reported re-initiating after BMT were 26% less likely than their peers to report VG/E physical health (p = .013) Among those who were not smoking at baseline, self ratings of physical health were not significantly different overall for those who had initiated smoking and those who had not at follow-up (F = 1.76; p = .185). Those who had initiated smoking were slightly less likely to report VG/E physical health (OR = .88, p = .035). Compared to those not discharged, participants discharged during BMT were 43% less likely (< .001) to report VG/E physical health and those discharged during technical training school were 24% less likely (p < .001) to report VG/E physical health
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