Differences In Self-rated Health Research Articles

Regional variation in the predictive validity of self-rated health for mortality

Self-rated health (SRH) is a commonly used measure for assessing general health in surveys in the United States. However, individuals from different parts of the United States may vary in how they assess their health. Geographic differences in health care access and in the prevalence of illnesses may make it difficult to discern true regional differences in health when using SRH as a health measure. In this article, we use data from the 1986 and 1989–2006 National Health Interview Survey Linked Mortality Files and estimate Cox regression models to examine whether the relationship between SRH and five-year all-cause mortality differs by Census region. Contrary to hypotheses, there is no evidence of regional variation in the predictive validity of SRH for mortality. At all levels of SRH, and for both non-Hispanic white and non-Hispanic black respondents, SRH is equally and strongly associated with five-year mortality across regions. Our results suggest that differences in SRH across regions are not solely due to differences in how respondents assess their health across regions, but reflect true differences in health. Future research can, therefore, employ this common measure to investigate the geographic patterning of health in the United States.

In-Work Poverty and Self-Rated Health in a Cohort of Working Germans: A Hybrid Approach for Decomposing Within-Person and Between-Persons Estimates of In-Work Poverty Status.

In this study, we investigated whether self-rated health (SRH) can be predicted by in-work poverty and how between-persons and within-person differences in the poverty status of people who are working contribute to this relationship. We used a logistic random-effects model designed to test within-person and between-persons differences with data from a nationally representative German sample with 19 waves of data collection (1995-2013) to estimate effects of between-persons and within-person differences in working poverty status on poor SRH. Interactions by age and sex were tested, and models controlled for sociodemographic, socioeconomic, and work-related characteristics. We found significant differences in SRH between individuals with different working poverty status but no evidence that within-person differences in working poverty status are associated with poor SRH. The association between in-work poverty and SRH was significantly stronger for women but did not differ significantly by age. All findings were robust when including sociodemographic, socioeconomic, and working characteristics. In this sample of German adults, we found a polarization of poor SRH between the working nonpoor and the working poor but no causal association of within-person differences in working poverty status with SRH.

Self-rated health and barriers to healthcare in Ukraine: The pivotal role of gender and its intersections

The ongoing health crisis in the Ukraine has persisted for 48 years with a clear division of gender-based outcomes as seen in the decline of male life expectancy and stagnation of female longevity. The purpose of this paper is to investigate differences in self-rated health and system barriers to health care applicable to gender and its intersections because of the differing negative health outcomes for men and women. Intersectionality theory provides an analytic framework for interpreting our results. Utilizing a nationwide sample of the Ukrainian population (N = 1908), we found that low socioeconomic status (SES) women rate their health worse than men generally and any other socioeconomic group. Yet women also face the greatest barriers to health care until older ages when the ailments of men cause them to likewise face the obstacles. In reviewing the barrier to health care scale, one barrier—that of health care services being too expensive—dominated the responses with some 52.5 percent of the sample reporting it. Consequently, the greatest problem in Ukraine with respect to health reform reported by the population is the out-of-pocket costs for care in a system that is officially free. These costs, constituting some 40 percent of all national health expenditures, affect women and the aged the most.

A novel method to promote physical activity among older adults in residential care: an exploratory field study on implicit social norms

BackgroundPhysical activity (PA) levels of older adults living in a care setting are known to be very low. This is a significant health(care) problem, as regular PA has many health benefits also at advanced age. Research on automatic processes underlying PA behaviour in physically inactive older adults is yet non-existing. Since people are unconsciously influenced by people around them (i.e. by ‘social norms’) automatic processes could be used to promote PA. We developed an explorative intervention method to assess the effects of automatically processed (implicit) descriptive social norms (‘What most people do’) on behavioral intention and participation in PA offered in a local residential care setting.MethodsForty-seven care clients met the inclusion criteria. Participants (response 45%; unaware of the intention of the research) were randomly assigned to an experimental (N = 10) or a control group (N = 11). The experimental group was exposed to photos and text heading on active peers (physically active implicit descriptive norm) using a draft newsletter article they were asked to comment on, whereas the control group was exposed to a newsletter with photos and text heading of inactive peers (physically inactive implicit descriptive norm). Subsequently, we tested (Fishers exact p < 0.10) whether this unaware exposure predicted intention (implicit and explicit) to participate in PA offered and organized by the care center (e.g. walking, gymnastics) and self-reported participation in organised PA at three months follow-up. Participants were debriefed later.ResultsMean age was 87 years (SD = 3.6; range 80–95) and 53% of the participants were male. At baseline, there were no significant differences in self-rated health and PA between the experimental and control group. Results indicated that implicit descriptive norm information was associated with implicit PA intention (p = .056, Fisher’s exact test). No significant effects were found on explicit intention. At 3 months follow-up the experimental group self-reported 80% participation in PA versus 22% in the control group (Fisher’s exact test p = 0.027).ConclusionImplicit descriptive social norm information could indeed be a potentially effective way to encourage inactive older adults in residential care to engage in organized PA.

Physical and mental health inequalities between native and immigrant Swedes

AbstractTo study health inequalities between native and immigrant Swedes, we investigated differences in self‐rated health (SRH), mental wellbeing (MW), common symptoms (CS), and persistent illness (PI), and if socioeconomic status (SES), negative status inconsistency, or social support could account for such differences. A secondary analysis was conducted on questionnaire data from a random adult population sample of 4,023 individuals and register data from Statistics Sweden. χ2 tests and binary logistic regressions were used to identify health differences and study these after accounting for explanatory variables. Compared with natives, immigrants more commonly reported negative status inconsistency, poorer SES, and poorer social support as well as poor SRH, very poor MW, and high level of CS but not PI. Significant differences were accounted for by work‐related factors and social support. We encourage future research to address how pre‐ and peri‐migration factors relate to immigrants’ post‐migration SES, social support, and health status. Policy Implications Given the relationship between work‐related factors (employment status, hours worked per week, and income) and all health outcomes in this study, labour market interventions that facilitate the integration of immigrants into the labour market, and into occupations that better correspond with their capacity, will arguably have public health benefits. Feelings of loneliness was, in our study, important in accounting for immigrants’ poorer self‐rated health compared with natives’. Therefore, we endorse interventions that facilitate immigrants’ social networking and integration and thereby reduce feelings of loneliness. Common physical and mental symptoms may be important indicators of health and we, thus, suggest these to be taken into account when developing ill‐health prevention programmes.

Ethnic variation in self-rated health–mortality association: Results from a 17-year follow-up study in Estonia

Background and aimPrevious research has highlighted the role of self-rated health (SRH) as an important predictor of mortality. With substantial ethnic differences in SRH and mortality reported in Estonia, this study aims to examine the ethnic variation in SRH–mortality association in this setting. Materials and methodsThe baseline data come from the nationally representative 1996 Estonian Health Interview Survey. Individual records of 3983 respondents in the 25–79 age group were linked with mortality data with 17 years follow-up time. The association between SRH and all-cause mortality was analyzed using the Cox regression for two ethnic groups and separately for men and women. ResultsAmong ethnic Estonians, both men and women with bad or very bad SRH had about 60% higher mortality compared to those with good or very good SRH even after adjustment for age, socioeconomic and health-related variables. In contrast, SRH did not predict mortality among non-Estonian men and women. A strong and universal inverse association with mortality was found for personal income. Education (among men) and occupation (among women) predicted mortality only among non-Estonians, whereas ever smoking was associated with mortality in Estonian men and women. Overweight women had lower mortality risk compared to women in normal weight category. ConclusionsWe found considerable ethnic variation in SRH–mortality association and in socioeconomic predictors of mortality. Further research, preferably focusing on cause-specific mortality and reporting heterogeneity of SRH could potentially shed further light on ethnic differences in SRH–mortality association in Estonia and more generally on socioeconomic inequalities in mortality in Eastern Europe.

Gender differences in self-rated health and their determinants in Turkey: A further analysis of Turkish health survey

Objective: This study analysed gender differences in self rated health status and their determinants by gender in Turkey. Methods: This is a further analysis of a 2010 Health Survey conducted by Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) A total of 5488 men and 7149 women in Turkey were included in this cross-sectional study. Self-rated health was analysed using three logistic regression models. Results: The rates of poor health were 9.8% among women and 5.2% among men, with the gender gap increasing with age. Low level of education, chronic diseases and poverty were associated with poor perceived health in both genders. For women, marriage and retirement from secure jobs were associated with good health; obesity and smoking were factors that caused poor health. For men, unemployment had a negative impact on health. Conclusion: The determinants of poor health were associated with not only on socioeconomic status but also on gender in the Turkey. Marriage may provide social protection for women where there are insufficient social policies to protect them

Self-rated health and mental health of lone fathers compared with lone mothers and partnered fathers: a population-based cross-sectional study.

Lone parenthood is associated with poorer health; however, the vast majority of previous studies have examined lone mothers and only a few have focused on lone fathers. We aimed to examine the self-rated health and mental health status among a large population-based cross-sectional sample of Canadian lone fathers compared with both partnered fathers and lone mothers. We investigated differences in self-rated health and mental health among 1058 lone fathers compared with 20 692 partnered fathers and 5725 lone mothers using the Ontario component of the Canadian Community Health Survey (2001-2013). Multivariable logistic regression was used to compare the odds of poor/fair self-rated health and mental health between the study groups while adjusting for a comprehensive list of sociodemographic factors, stressors and lifestyle factors. Lone fathers and lone mothers showed similar prevalence of poor/fair self-rated health (11.6% and 12.5%, respectively) and mental health (6.2% and 8.4%, respectively); the odds were similar even after multivariable adjustment. Lone fathers showed higher odds of poor/fair self-rated health (OR 1.53, 95% CI 1.07 to 2.17) and mental health (OR 2.09, 95% CI 1.26 to 3.46) than partnered fathers after adjustment for sociodemographic factors; however, these differences were no longer significant after accounting for stressors, including low income and unemployment. In this large population-based study, lone fathers had worse self-rated health and mental health than partnered fathers and similarly poor self-rated health and mental health as lone mothers. Interventions, supports and social policies designed for single parents should also recognise the needs of lone fathers.

Socioeconomic status and self-rated health of Japanese people, based on age, cohort, and period.

BackgroundDifferences in health resulting from differences in socioeconomic status (SES) have been identified around the world. Age, period, and cohort (A-P-C) differences in health are vital factors which are associated with disparities in SES. However, few studies have examined these differences simultaneously. Moreover, although self-rated health (SRH) has been frequently used as an indicator of health, biases in reporting SRH that depend on the socioeconomic characteristics of respondents have been scarcely adjusted in the previous studies. To overcome these limitations, we investigated the associations between disparities in SES and adjusted SRH based on A-P-C, by using a repeated, cross-sectional survey of a nationally representative sample of Japanese people. In addition, we further investigated how exogenous (macroeconomic) conditions unique to a period or cohort would explain trends across successive periods and cohorts.MethodsData were obtained from a sample of 653,132 Japanese people that responded to the Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions (CSLC), which is a cross-sectional survey that had been conducted every three years from 1986 to 2013, on over 10 occasions. In the CSLC, SES has been assessed by household income. We simultaneously controlled for each A-P-C dimension by using the model for cross-classification of random effects, and adjusting SRH data for reporting biases caused by differences in income and A-P-C.ResultsDifferences in adjusted SRH associated with income differences decreased with age and reversed after 76 years of age. Period differences indicated that income differences peaked in 1992 and 2007. Moreover, differences in adjusted SRH associated with income differences decreased in periods with high unemployment across all periods. Furthermore, there were no cohort differences in adjusted SRH that were associated with income differences.ConclusionIn Japan, there are age and period variations associated with adjusted differences in SRH as assessed by income. Moreover, exogenous conditions in each period could help explain periodic trends across successive periods.

Re-evaluating gender differences in self-rated health: The importance of cohort

ABSTRACT Research examining gender differences in self-rated health (SRH) has typically not distinguished between age and cohort-related changes in the health of men and women over time. Using longitudinal data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, this study finds gender diffegrences in SRH may actually be an artifact of cohort. Prior to examining health across cohorts, women reported worse health than men. With the introduction of cohort to the models, no gender difference was found except in the earliest cohort (born 1924–1933). Historical context is therefore critical to understanding the health trajectories of women and men, which are not uniform across cohorts.

Regional inequalities in self-rated health in Russia: What is the role of social and economic capital?

Using the data from the European Social Survey (round 6, 2012), this article studies regional inequalities in self-rated health in Russia and examines the role that socio-demographic factors and economic and social capital play in these differences. Also, the regional variation in the determinants of self-rated health is analysed. The article argues that there are considerable and statistically significant unadjusted differences in self-rated health across Russian Federal Districts. We elaborated these differences by regression adjustments, with the result that some of the differences were explained by our predictors and some were amplified. The odds for good self-rated health were lower in the Volga than in Central Russia due to age and socio-economic composition. In contrast, the regression adjustments amplified the differences of the Northwest and the South in comparison to the Central District. The odds for good self-rated health were considerably lower in the Far Eastern part of the country than in the Central District, independently of the adjustments. While social and economic capital predicted good self-rated health at the individual level, they did not explain regional differences. Interaction analyses revealed regional variation in some of the determinants of self-rated health. Most notably, the effects of age, trade union membership and volunteering depended on the regional context. This article argues that the healthcare reforms that transfer funding responsibilities to regional administration may be dangerous for the already less affluent and less healthy rural regions. Thus, regional governance has a growing importance in preventing increases in health inequalities.

An examination of health selection among U.S. immigrants using multi-national data

While migrants are widely believed to be positively selected on health, there has been very little empirical exploration of the actual health differential between migrants and non-migrants. This paper explored: 1) the extent of health selection by comparing US immigrants from 19 sending countries to their non-migrating counterparts still residing in the countries of origin; 2) country-level correlates of health selection; and 3) whether country-level health selection accounted for differences in self-rated health between immigrants and US-born Whites. We combined nationally-representative international data with data from US immigrants from the 2003–2007 Current Population Survey. The health selectivity measure was the Net Difference Index (NDI), which compares the distribution of self-rated health between migrants and non-migrants. We calculated Spearman correlation and bivariate regression coefficients between the NDI and economic, health, distance, and migration characteristics of the sending countries. We used generalized estimating equation models to examine the association between country-level health selection and immigrants' current self-rated health. We found immigrants from South America to show the most positive health selection. Health selection was significantly correlated with visa mode of entry, where family networks decrease, but work-related networks increase health selection. There was little evidence that country-level health selection explained differences in the self-rated health of US immigrants relative to US-born Whites. Our findings do not support the idea that country-level health selection underlies the “healthy immigrant effect”.

A study of the influential factors for health inequality

Using a national dataset, this study investigates the inequalities in physical functional status, depressive symptoms, and self-rated health among groups of people with different socioeconomic status (SES) through the use of multilevel regression models. The results reveal that as age increases, differences in physical functional status among people with different SES expand and no significant differences in depressive symptoms are found. However, general conclusions on the trend of differences in self-rated health cannot be made. In wealthy regions, the differences in the three health indicators among people with different SES shrink, but these differences expand in poor regions. Finally, this study advocates that the emphasis of the structural reform of medical treatment and public health should be elderly with low SES who resides in poor regions.

Exploring the Effects of Spousal Race on the Self-rated Health of Intermarried Adults

Marital health advantages and the increase of interracial marriage (intermarriage) are well documented, but few studies investigate the health of intermarried people. We address this issue using aggregated data from the 2000–2013 Current Population Survey (CPS) and find that people with racial/ethnic minority spouses report lower self-rated health than those married to whites. Spousal race significantly moderated the association between respondent’s race and self-rated health such that minorities in same-race marriages had lower odds of reporting better health than those intermarried to whites. However, we found no differences in self-rated health among minorities intermarried to other minorities. There was also limited evidence that gender and socioeconomic status (SES) moderated the interaction between respondent’s race and spousal race. Our findings highlight the effects of marriage on the self-rated health of respondents and their spouse as well as the importance of examining differences in couple’s racial composition when investigating racial disparities in spousal health.

Gender Differences in Self-Rated Health among University Students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland: Do Confounding Variables Matter?

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;INTRODUCTION:&lt;/strong&gt; We assessed gender differences in self-rated health (SRH) while considering physical health, health complaints, health service use, wider wellbeing, and health behaviours.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;METHODS:&lt;/strong&gt; 3706 undergraduates at 7 Universities in the United Kingdom completed a self-administered questionnaire (2009–2008). Logistic regressions with excellent/very good SRH as dependent variable assessed the variables that explained the SRH sex difference. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;RESULTS:&lt;/strong&gt; Females had more health complaints, illness periods, lower quality of life, more burdens, and took medication/s more often. The crude (unadjusted) odds ratio (OR) proposed that females were less likely to report excellent/very good SRH than males [OR 0.79, 95% CI 0.68-0.94]. Adjusting only for physical health and health service use, females’ OR increased considerably, and the association between female sex and SRH was no longer significant. Also, when adjusting only for wider well-being or when adjusting only for health behaviour, the negative association between females and SRH was no longer significant. Adjusting for all the variables simultaneously (physical health, health service use, wider well-being, health behaviours) resulted in considerable increase of females’ OR indicating now a positive association between female sex and SRH [OR 1.33, 95% CI 1.04-1.74]. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;CONCLUSION:&lt;/strong&gt; Females’ lower SRH found in the crude analyses was confounded by their higher stress level, lower quality of life, lower physical activity and by more illnesses or health complaints when compared with males. Gender-related SRH research should control for many potential confounders to prevent overestimation of the gender effect. Health promotion programs should consider these factors when tackling gender health disparities.&lt;/p&gt;

Abstract P058: Men with Impaired Glucose Tolerance Have Lower Self-rated Health Than Men with Impaired Fasting Glucose, an Association Mediated by Physical Activity

Aim: Previous studies have shown that individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) have lower self-rated health than normoglycemic individuals. Less is known about individuals with impaired fasting glucose (IFG). The aim of this study was to examine differences in self-rated health between individuals with IGT and those with IFG, taking into account the mediating effect of lifestyle. Methods: In 2002-2005, a total of 2816 individuals 35-74 years were randomly selected for a population-based study in the southwest of Sweden (The Skaraborg Project). All participants performed an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and had anthropometric measurements and blood pressure taken. Fasting venous blood samples were drawn and validated questionnaires on lifestyles were completed. Self-rated health (SRH) was ranked on a five-graded scale, and dichotomized into “good or very good” (1-2) or “fair, bad or very bad” (3-5). Leisure time physical activity (LTPA) was reported on a four-graded scale and dichotomized into sedentary/low LTPA or moderate/high LTPA. At baseline, 213 individuals with IGT and 129 with IFG were detected and used for further analyses in this cross-sectional study. Results: Individuals with IGT were found to have lower self-rated health than individuals with IFG (OR=1.62, CI: 1.01-2.60, p=0.047). There was a borderline interaction between sex and IGT/IFG considering self-rated health (p=0.055) and the difference in self-rated health was seen particularly in men when adjusted for age and BMI (OR=2.13, CI: 1.13-4.02, p=0.020). The results remained significant when also adjusting for smoking, history of CVD and lack of sleep, but became insignificant when including physical activity in the model (OR=1.8, CI: 0.91-3.58, p=0.094). Individuals with IGT reported a lower level of physical activity than those with IFG (OR=2.2, CI: 1.30-3.75, p=0.004) when adjusting for age, BMI and history of CVD. No significant differences were seen in alcohol consumption (P=0.209) or smoking (p=0.150). Conclusion: This study shows that individuals with IGT had significantly worse self-rated health than individuals with IFG and also a less physically active lifestyle. These results indicate that physical inactivity might be an important explanatory factor behind the observed association between low self-rated health and IGT. These findings are important to consider in care-taking and treatment of patients with IGT and IFG in primary care.

Explaining the gender difference in self-rated health among university students in Egypt

ABSTRACTIn this study the authors assessed gender differences in the relationships between self-rated health (SRH) and demographic factors, physical health, health service use, infections, a variety of symptoms and health conditions, and wider well-being features. A self-administered questionnaire was administered to 3,271 students at Assiut University, Egypt during 2009–2010. Multiple logistic regression was used (with excellent/very good SRH as dependent variable) to assess the variables that might explain the gender difference in SRH. Females had more symptoms, infectious diseases/illness periods, substantially lower quality of life, and more burdens, although their health awareness and satisfaction with social support were higher than males. The unadjusted odds ratio (OR) suggested that females were less likely than males to rate their SRH as excellent/very good [OR 0.56, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.47–0.68]. Adjusting only for relevant physical health and health service use variables, the OR for excellent/very good SRH for females increased, but nevertheless still remained significantly lower than that of males. With further adjustment for physical health, health service use, and also for wider well-being variables, the gender difference in SRH became no longer statistically significant. Poorer physical health indicators and a lower level of wider well-being features explained the lower SRH among female Egyptian university students. Health promotion and prevention programs should consider these factors in attempting to address gender health disparities.

Exploring self-rated health among adolescents: a think-aloud study.

BackgroundDespite extensive use of self-rated health questions in youth studies, little is known about what such questions capture among adolescents. Hence, the aim of this study was to explore how adolescents interpret and reason when answering a question about self-rated health.MethodsA qualitative study using think-aloud interviews explored the question, “How do you feel most of the time?”, using five response options (“Very good”, “Rather good”, “Neither good, nor bad”, “Rather bad”, and “Very bad”). The study involved 58 adolescents (29 boys and 29 girls) in lower secondary school (7th grade) and upper secondary school (12th grade) in Sweden.ResultsRespondents’ interpretations of the question about how they felt included social, mental, and physical aspects. Gender differences were found primarily in that girls emphasized stressors, while age differences were reflected mainly in the older respondents’ inclusion of a wider variety of influences on their assessments. The five response options all demonstrated differences in self-rated health, and the respondents’ understanding of the middle option, “Neither good, nor bad”, varied widely. In the answering of potential sensitive survey questions, rationales for providing honest or biased answers were described.ConclusionsThe use of a self-rated health question including the word ‘feel’ captured a holistic view of health among adolescents. Differences amongst response options should be acknowledged when analyzing self-rated health questions. If anonymity is not feasible when answering questions on self-rated health, a high level of privacy is recommended to increase the likelihood of reliability.

The mediating effect of discrimination, social support and hopelessness on self-rated health of Roma adolescents in Slovakia.

BackgroundAccording to the EU-MIDIS report on discrimination, Roma are the most discriminated against group in Europe. Research suggests that experiencing discrimination may itself be detrimental to health. The aim of this paper is to investigate whether discrimination, hopelessness and social support mediate differences in self-rated health (SRH) between Roma and non-Roma adolescents.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study among Roma from separated and segregated settlements in the eastern part of Slovakia (N = 330; mean age = 14.50; interview) and non-Roma adolescents (N = 722; mean age = 14.86; questionnaire); only non-missing data were used for analyses (n = 759). The effect of perceived discrimination, mother and father social support, and hopelessness on SRH was analysed as crude and adjusted for ethnicity, age, gender, parental education and social desirability. Mediating effects were separately assessed using the Sobel test and structural equation modelling.ResultsRoma adolescents reported poorer SRH and more discrimination, mother and father social support, hopelessness and social desirability. Roma ethnicity (Odds ratio/95 %-Confidence interval 3.27/2.40–4.47), discrimination (2.66/1.82–3.88), hopelessness (1.35/1.20–1.51) and mother (0.92/0.88–0.97) and father social support (0.96/0.93 – 0.997) were statistically significant predictors of poor SRH. Perceived discrimination, social support and hopelessness mediated the ethnicity-health association, with adjustment for social support increasing its strength and the other two variables decreasing it.ConclusionsPerceived discrimination, social support and hopelessness mediate a part of the association between Roma ethnicity and poor SRH, with discrimination and hopelessness being risk factors and social support a protective factor.

The impact of a cancer diagnosis on health and well-being: a prospective, population-based study.

ObjectiveLittle is known about the trajectory of health and well‐being from before to after a cancer diagnosis. This study aimed to examine changes in health and well‐being across three time points (0–2 years before a cancer diagnosis, 0–2 years post‐diagnosis and 2–4 years post‐diagnosis) in individuals receiving a new cancer diagnosis, and at matched time points in a cancer‐free comparison group.MethodsData were from waves 1–6 of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Repeated‐measures ANOVAs were used to examine differences in self‐rated health, mobility impairments, activities of daily living impairments, quality of life, depressive symptoms and life satisfaction by group and time, and group‐by‐time interactions.ResultsOf the 4565 participants with data from three time points, 444 (9.7%) reported a new cancer diagnosis. Those in the cancer group reported poorer self‐rated health (p < .001), quality of life (p < .001) and life satisfaction (p < .01) than participants in the comparison group, and a higher proportion reported depressive symptoms (p < .001) and impairments in mobility (p < .001) and activities of daily living (p < .001). All markers of health and well‐being worsened significantly over time. The group‐by‐time interaction was significant for self‐rated health (p < .001), with a greater decline in health over time in the cancer group.ConclusionsCancer survivors in this sample had poorer health and well‐being than those with no diagnosis, and self‐rated health deteriorated more rapidly following a cancer diagnosis. Screening for these factors around the time of a cancer diagnosis could allow for interventions to be targeted effectively and improve the health and well‐being of cancer survivors. © 2015 The Authors. Psycho‐Oncology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.