Self-assessed Health Research Articles

Исследование субъективного возраста людей позднего онтогенеза, постоянно проживающих в учреждениях социального обслуживания

How old people feel compared to their actual age, i.e. their "subjective age", is a central indicator of individual aging experience and predicts developmental outcomes, including health and mortality. Despite many foreign studies demonstrating the importance of studying subjective age, especially in late ontogenesis, the category of subjective age in Russian psychology is practically not studied. The paper deals with the results of an empirical research, the purpose of which was to study subjective age as a cognitive and emotional resource in relation to self-assessment of health and subjective well-being of people aged 49-93 who permanently reside (more than 1 year) in geriatric centers. A total sample (N = 155) is analyzed in subgroups depending on gender, age (49-64 years; 65-74 years; 75-93 years) and objective health status (disability group or its absence). The following methods were used: "Age-of-Me" by B. Barak, SF-36 Health Status Survey, Subjective Happiness Scale by S. Lyubomirsky, Satisfaction with Life Scale by E. Diener. It is shown that people who permanently reside in geriatric centers have a positive illusion of age assessment, on average, equal to 8.8 years, i.e. they perceive themselves as younger than chronological age. The subjective age of men and women, as well as people of different ages, has no statistically significant differences. People with disability group I (people with the most severe health restrictions) assess their subjective age younger than people with disability group II and III, which may indicate the actualization of compensation and hypercompensation mechanisms that allow them to live despite serious physical health restrictions and feel happy and perceive themselves younger than their age. The greater the cognitive illusion of age, i.e., the younger a person feels, the higher the indicators of subjective well-being and quality of life associated with health. People who perceive themselves to be younger than the chronological age have higher quality of life indicators compared to people who assess their age equally to the chronological age.

Self-Assessed Health Level (SF-36) of the Social Services Users, in the Region of East Macedonia and Thrace in Greece

Self-Assessed Health Level (SF-36) of the Social Services Users, in the Region of East Macedonia and Thrace in Greece

Utilization of Medical Services and Self-assessed Health Status among Foreign Residents in Japan

Utilization of Medical Services and Self-assessed Health Status among Foreign Residents in Japan

Research on the health status and influencing factors of the older adult floating population in Shanghai.

Over the past decade, against the dual background of population aging and mobility, the older adult/adults floating population has become a new type of mobile group in China, continually congregating in large cities, posing significant challenges to the socio-economic development, eldercare services, and public management of these metropolises. Shanghai, as a mega-city and the economic center of the China, is typically representative of the national population. Based on the dynamic monitoring data of Shanghai's floating population in 2018, this research uses mathematical statistics and binary Logistic regression models. This research analyzes the demographic characteristics and health status of the older adult/adults floating population in Shanghai in the new era and reveals its primary influencing factors. (1) A prominent contradiction in the scale and structure of the older adult/adults floating population, with widowed and low-educated mobile older adult/adults requiring attention. (2) There is a lack of health knowledge, and the proportion of local reimbursement is low. Over 90% of migrant older adult/adults self-assessed their health (with a very few unable to care for themselves), far higher than the proportion of older adult/adults who are not sick (injured) or uncomfortable (actually healthy), which exceeds 70%. The health status of migrant older adult/adults deteriorates with age, and those who have never attended school and live alone have the worst health status. (3) Older adult/adults people with advanced age and low educational levels are at risk of health issues, while a better living environment can reduce the risk of illness in the older adult/adults floating population. Low family income, poor housing affordability, and the medical burden brought about by illness can easily lead to older adult/adults floating populations falling into the trap of older adult/adults poverty, and older adult/adults people from central regions and those who migrate along have difficulty adapting to city life, leading to poor self-assessed health. Meanwhile, community/enterprise health education helps to enhance the health protection awareness of the older adult/adults floating population. Finally, based on the governance concept of "mobility publicness," several public management and service optimization strategies for social support for the older adult/adults floating population in Shanghai are proposed.

Socio-Economic and Health Indicators’ Relation to Self-Assessed Health: A Case Study of Phai Tha Pho, Phichit Province, Thailand

Socio-Economic and Health Indicators’ Relation to Self-Assessed Health: A Case Study of Phai Tha Pho, Phichit Province, Thailand

Health literacy of patients with chronic diseases – quantitative results of a mixed methods study in primary healthcare / Gesundheitskompetenz von Menschen mit chronischer Erkrankung – quantitative Ergebnisse einer Mixed-Methods-Studie in der Primärversorgung

Abstract Background In research and practice to promote health literacy, people with chronic illnesses represent an important target group. They are confronted with complex demands during the course of their illness. And, they utilize healthcare services more frequently. Patients are often dependent on the support of healthcare professionals. Population-based studies in Germany conducted that the majority of people find it most difficult to assess health information. The studies emphasize the enhancement of professional‘s health literacy, e. g. in nursing profession, as a prerequisite for improving capabilities in the population. In order to achieve better access and a needs-based care for people with chronic illnesses, a project in northern Germany has developed and offered a care-led concept. Methods As part of this project, data on self-assessed health literacy of chronically ill patients from a community health center was collected and analyzed using a quantitative survey in a mixed-methods study. Results The data analysis shows that more than half of the participants, regardless of gender and age, rate their health literacy as inadequate. On every level of information requirements and areas difficulties were reported. Conclusion The involvement of patients is needed in order to establish suitable strategies to empower health literacy for people with chronic illnesses. Particularly, the promotion of professional and organizational health literacy is essential for this.

Promoting mental health in the workplace: web software development and validation.

to develop and validate the content and technical aspects of a web software program for promoting mental health in the workplace. applied methodological study and technological development, carried out in three stages: 1) Umbrella review development; 2) Web software development; 3) Content and technical validation carried out by 14 judges. The data was submitted to descriptive statistical analysis and calculation of the content validity index. based on the guidelines' recommendations, information was defined and extracted in order to develop the web software consisting of the following dimensions: mental health education, support among coworkers, promotion strategies and mental health self-assessment. For the technical development, the objectives, general functions and technological infrastructure were defined. After development and functional testing, the version was made available for content and technical validation by judges. The overall content validity index was 0.98 and for the technical aspects it was 0.97. the agreement between the judges in relation to the content and technical aspects, as well as the suggestions incorporated, demonstrated the potential for using web software to promote mental health in the workplace.

The Psychological Pressure of Business English Translation Teaching and Counter Strategies

BACKGROUND: As the author`s country adheres to the basic national policy of opening to the outside world, persists in opening the country, and gradually increases the exchanges with the outside world, the society`s demand for compound translators is relatively increasing, and the work of Business English translation teaching has become more important. Therefore, the reform of Business English translation teaching puts forward higher requirements for translation teaching. OBJECTIVE: Studies have found that translation teaching has an important impact on the workload and work pressure of newcomers to the translation teaching industry, as well as the mental health of the new generation of translators. This not only has important value for studying the mental health of translation teachers, but also can make young Business English Translation teachers have a better understanding of the industry they are engaged in, which helps to properly handle various problems at work and reduces the psychological pressure on translators brought by Business English translation teaching and the impact of their own mental health. METHODS: This article uses the Psychological Stress Scale for Business English Translation Teaching Work and the Mental Health Self-Assessment Scale to analyze and summarize the information obtained by the newcomers to the translation teaching industry in Guangxi through questionnaire surveys. RESULTS: Newly recruited translators have higher scores on the psychological pressure of Business English translation teaching, which shows that the psychological pressure of newly recruited translators is relatively high. There is a significant correlation between the mental health of newly recruited translation teachers and the psychological pressure they feel in Business English translation teaching. CONCLUSIONS: In order to solve the problems encountered in the work, reduce the psychological pressure caused by Business English translation teaching, and improve the psychological and physical quality of young teachers, young teachers should know their own profession from many aspects and master its characteristics.

Exploring influential factors in the self-assessment of life satisfaction among Chinese elderly: a structural equation modeling analysis.

The aging problem is becoming more and more prominent globally. Attention to the quality of life and related health improvement among the elderly has become an important issue in modern society. This study utilized a tracking survey conducted in 2017-2018, involving 9,327 Chinese older adults, to examine health influencing factors, and applied structural equation modeling to analyze the influencing factors on the self-assessment of life satisfaction among older adults in different regions (cities, counties, and villages) in China. This study revealed that economic status, psychological status, personal situation, life behaviors, and child care are important influences on older people's self- assessed life satisfaction. There is a positive correlation between economic status, psychological status, child care and the results of the self-assessment of life satisfaction of the elderly. Psychological status and child care have a greater impact on the self-assessment of life satisfaction among the elderly in urban areas compared to villages and towns. The influence of economic status on the self-assessment of life satisfaction of the elderly is lower in urban areas than in rural areas. There is a significant difference in the influence of personal situations on the self-assessment of life satisfaction among the elderly. Additionally, older individuals tend to report higher levels of self-assessment of life satisfaction. Furthermore, female elderly individuals tend to report higher levels of satisfaction compared to males. Findings from this study indicate that improving health self-assessment in older adults requires targeted efforts based on different geographic areas of life and the age stages of older adults, and more attention needs to be paid to men who are just entering old age.

Oral Health Knowledge, Self-Assessed Oral Health Behavior, and Oral Hygiene Practices among the Adult General Population in Croatia.

Emphasizing the significance of optimal oral health for enhancing overall well-being, this study aimed to investigate oral health knowledge, self-assessed oral health behaviors, and oral hygiene practices within the Croatian general population. A cross-sectional observational study was conducted online, utilizing a questionnaire collecting sociodemographic characteristics and inquiring about respondents' oral health knowledge, self-assessed oral health status, oral hygiene habits, and use of oral hygiene products. Collected data underwent both descriptive and regression analyses to unveil patterns and relationships within the dataset. The respondents showed a high level of knowledge about oral health (median score 9, IQR 7.00-10.00, maximum possible score 10), with significant factors for higher knowledge being engaged in dental professions; above-average socioeconomic status; and the use of an electric brush, dental floss, and interdental brushes (p ˂ 0.05). Insufficient knowledge, on the other hand, was associated with bleeding gums and daily smoking (p ˂ 0.05). Although 69.4% of respondents considered their oral health to be very good, 32.5% reported tooth decay, and 38.2% reported tooth sensitivity. The majority (62.0%) cited regular check-ups as the reason for their last visit to the dentist, with 74.1% feeling no anxiety or discomfort during these visits. Daily toothbrush use was widespread (97.8%), but only 34.1% and 19.1% of respondents reported using floss and/or interdental brushes daily. A remarkable 69.0% of respondents indicated that low oral health literacy and low prioritization contribute to suboptimal oral health. While respondents demonstrated commendable oral health knowledge, the prevalence of reported issues suggests a potential gap between perception and actual oral health status. To address this, targeted educational interventions focusing on comprehensive oral hygiene practices and debunking misconceptions should be prioritized in Croatia.

The study of the biological age of university teachers in the period of urgent transition to distance education as a result of pandemic

In the article, the biological age of university teachers was studied (using the express method of V.P. Voytenko), a total of 127 people (64 women, 63 men) were examined, they were divided into three groups according to their age (1st group ‒23-39 years old, 2nd group ‒40-59 years old, 3rd group ‒60 years old and older).A special health self-assessment questionnaire and a number of physiological indicators and mathematical formulas were used to calculate the value of biological age (BA);the appropriate biological age value (ABA) was calculated; he obtained biological age and the corresponding biological age were compared, it was determined how many years the subjects' aging rate was ahead or behind their peers. This approach makes it possible to divide people of the same age into several degrees according to the degree of “age wear”, as well as according to the “reserve” of health (degrees I and II ‒slow aging, III ‒BA corresponds to the population standard, IV and V ‒accelerated aging). The research was conducted during the transition of universities to distance education during the pandemic (October-November, 2020). More than half of the teachers (55.90%) were found to be experiencing accelerated aging (grade IV-V of BA), and this was more common among men than among women. Among those examined, the rate of aging is evident in the youngest group of teachers. Due to the pandemic, in the period of urgent transition from the usual traditional educational format to distance learning, the accelerated rate of aging according to biological age indicators was observed in almost all groups of teachers: 23%-80%. And there is a conclusion that the gender and age of the subjects affect the biological age.

THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF PATIENTS IN DENTAL PRACTICE: AN ANALYSIS OF HEALTH AND PSYCHOSOCIAL WELL-BEING

Quality of life (QoL) is a composite measure that reflects the overall level of satisfaction and well-being that a person experiences in their daily life. Understanding QoL is key to providing care and rehabilitation to patients, and issues identified during a QoL self-assessment may indicate the need to modify and improve treatment. It is widely recognized that COVID-19 has a diverse symptomatic spectrum. For the above reasons, COVID-19 can lead to a deterioration in health-related quality of life in both the short and long terms. The direct impact of COVID-19 on quality of life indicators, as well as the impact of coronavirus disease on dental health in general, served as a prerequisite for writing this article.
 The purpose of our study is to analyse the impact of COVID-19 on the quality of life of patients in dental practice.
 Materials and methods: all patients were interviewed for self-assessment of quality of life using the 36item Short Form-36 questionnaire.
 Results and Discussion: the obtained results among patients in group 1 and group 2 indicated a significant deterioration in both physical and psychological health components. The physical functioning (PF) score indicated average physical activity. The results of the impact of physical condition on role functioning (RP) reflected limitations in performing daily activities, both at work and at home. The pain intensity score (BP) indicated moderate body discomfort. The result for general health (GH) indicated the possibility of problems with general health and self-esteem. The vitality score (VT) indicated an average level of energy. The result obtained for the social functioning (SF) score indicated severe limitations in the social and psychological aspects of life. The value of the impact of the emotional state on role functioning (RE) indicated a significant effect of emotional difficulties on the patients' ability to perform habitual activities. The indicator of selfassessment of mental health (MH) indicated emotional and mental difficulties.
 Conclusions: This research demonstrates the ability of COVID-19 to cause long-term problems that directly affect the quality of life of patients and, accordingly, the possibility of developing dental diseases and their favourable prognosis.

CUMULATIVE EFFECTS OF COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT AND FRAILTY ON GERIATRIC SYNDROMES IN A GERIATRIC OUTPATIENT SETTING

Abstract Aim With underlying geriatric syndromes, only few studies emphasized on the aspect of co-occurrence of frailty and cognitive impairment, though they are independently associated with several geriatric syndromes. Methods The participants were recruited from the outpatient clinic of geriatric department in a medical center. Frailty was assessed by a modified version of Fried’s criteria, while cognitive impairment was defined by cutoff scores of the Mini Mental State Examination. Demographic characteristics, self-assessed health status, and geriatric assessment were collected. Polytomous logistic regression model was used to evaluate factors correlated with frailty alone, cognitive impairment alone, and co-occurrence of frailty and cognitive impairment. Results The mean age of the 323 participants (60.1% women) was 80.4 ± 7.3 years. The prevalence of non-frailty, frailty alone, cognitive impairment alone and co-occurrence were 34.4%, 16.7%, 23.8% and 25.1%, respectively. When compared to the not-frail group, the odds ratios (OR) of having activity of daily living impairment (aOR 1.44, 95% CI 1.28-1.63), instrumental activities of daily living impairment (aOR 1.61, 95% CI 1.45-1.81), urinary incontinence (aOR 1.61, 95% CI 1.45-1.81) and with lower mini-nutritional assessment score (aOR 148, 95% CI 1.30-1.69) were significantly higher in the co-occurrence group after adjusted with demographic variables and Charlson comorbidity index. Conclusions Co-occurrence of frailty and cognitive impairment was associated with higher prevalence of disability, incontinence and malnutrition. It is crucial to approach frailty and cognitive impairment simultaneously in daily geriatric clinical practice due to the correlations of several geriatric syndromes to the co-occurrence of physical frailty and cognitive impairment.

The Role of Specific Study-Related Demands and Resources to Student Health and Life Satisfaction

Studies report an association between study conditions and student health outcomes. The aim was to investigate the influence of specific study-related demands and resources on self-assessed health. Students of the Technical University of Dresden were surveyed online about their health and their studies. Referring to the Study Demands-Resources Model descriptive and regression analytic methods were applied. 1,312 students were included in the analyses. About one-fifth of participants reported low life satisfaction and high exhaustion. Time and cognitive demands were associated with poorer health, social support and time margin in studies were linked to better health. This relationship was particularly evident with a combination of high demands and low resources. The results provide approaches for preventive measures to strengthen the health of students.

Health inequality and health insurance coverage: The United States and China compared

We study inequality in the distribution of self-assessed health (SAH) in the United States and China, two large countries that have expanded their insurance provisions in recent decades, but that lack universal coverage and differ in other social determinants of health. Using comparable health survey data from China and the United States, we compare health inequality trends throughout the period covering the public health insurance coverage expansions in the two countries. We find that whether SAH inequality is greater in the US or in China depends on the concept of status and the inequality-sensitivity parameter used; however, the regional pattern of SAH inequality is clearly associated with health-insurance coverage expansions in the US but not significant in China.

Self-Assessed Health and Self-Medication: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices among Parents of Primary School Children

Self-Assessed Health and Self-Medication: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices among Parents of Primary School Children

The structural characteristics of the lifestyle among older adults and its impact on the health in China.

Enhancing overall health remains a primary global objective, with lifestyle being a crucial factor impacting the health status among older adults. This study focuses on the lifestyle of Chinese older adults, systematically exploring the evolution and characteristics of their lifestyle and investigating its impact on their health. Utilizing panel data from the Chinese Longitudinal Health Longevity Survey (CLHLS) from 2008, 2011, 2014, and 2018, we adopted 15 indicators reflecting older adults' lifestyle. Latent class analysis and ordinary least square regression were used to uncover the structural nuances of the Chinese older adults' lifestyle and its effects on health. The study identifies three distinct lifestyle categories for the older adults: relatively positive, mixed, and relatively negative. It reveals that the Chinese older adults do not predominantly adopt a positive lifestyle, and this trend persisted from 2008 to 2018. Each improvement in lifestyle category significantly boosts the older adults' physical health, mental health, and self-assessed health by 11.2%, 3.6%, and 17.1%, respectively. To attain the strategic aim of healthy aging, efforts should prioritize encouraging the older adults to adopt a positive lifestyle, enhance the geriatric health service system, and promote an intelligent lifestyle management model.

The level of actual functional fitness of men from different living environments in Poland and associations with health - a cross-sectional study

BackgroundThe study aimed to assess the differences in functional fitness between older men living in social welfare homes (SWH) and men living in society.MethodsThe study involved 474 men aged 60–84, including 134 men living in social welfare homes and 340 men living in community. The Senior Fitness Test was used to assess functional fitness. Body weight and height were measured. Moreover, data on age, education, taking up physical activity and place of residence were collected.ResultsA significantly lower level of functional fitness of SWH residents was demonstrated compared to men living in the society (p < 0.001). A significant percentage of seniors living in SWH did not reach the normal range for the Polish population. Also, the level of education, physical activity and health self-assessment differentiated the institutionalized men from those living in the community.ConclusionsThe place of residence is a factor that differentiates seniors’ functional fitness levels. The reduced fitness of social welfare home residents may also result from the low level of their daily physical activity, education and health. Introducing physical activity programs for elderly residents in social welfare homes seems reasonable.Trial registrationISRCTN platform as 18,225,729; December 2020.

Long-term quality of life and functional outcomes after management of spinal epidural abscess

BACKGROUND/CONTEXTIn recent years, the incidence of spinal epidural abscesses (SEA) has tripled in number and nonoperative management has risen in popularity. While there has been a shift towards reserving surgical intervention for patients with focal neurologic deficits, a third of patients will still fail medical management and require surgical intervention. Failure to understand long-term quality of life and functional outcomes hinders effective decision making and prognostication. PURPOSETo describe patterns and associated factors impacting long-term quality of life following treatment of spinal epidural abscess. STUDY DESIGN/SETTINGMulticenter cohort study at two urban academic tertiary referral centers and two community centers. PATIENT SAMPLEAdult patients treated for a spinal epidural abscess. OUTCOME MEASURESEuroQoL 5-Dimension 5L (EQ5D), Neuro-Quality of Life Lower Extremity – Mobility (Short Form; NeuroQoL-LE), Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Physical Function (short form 4a; PROMIS PF), and PROMIS Global Mental Health score (PROMIS Mental). METHODSEligible patients were enrolled and administered questionnaires. Multivariable analysis assessed the influence of ambulatory status on HRQL, adjusting for covariates including age, biologic sex, Charlson comorbidity index, intravenous drug use, management approach, and ASIA grade on presentation. RESULTSSixty-one patients were enrolled (mean age 60.5 years, 46% male). Thirty-four patients (58%) underwent operative management. Mean standard deviation (SD) results for HRQL measures were: EQ5D 0.51 (0.37), EQ5D visual analogue scale 60.34 (25.11), NeuroQoL Lower extremity 41.47 (10.64), PROMIS physical function 39.49 (10.07), and PROMIS Global Mental Health 44.23 (10.36). Adjusted analysis demonstrated ambulatory status at presentation, and at 1 year, to be important drivers of HRQL, irrespective of other factors including IVDU and ASIA grade. Patients with independent ambulatory function at 1 year had mean EQ5D utility of 0.65 (95% CI 0.55, 0.75), whereas those requiring assistive devices saw a 49% decrease with mean EQ5D utility of 0.32 (0.14, 0.51). Ambulatory status was associated with global and physical function but did not impact overall health self-assessment or mental health scores. CONCLUSIONSWe found that ambulatory status was the most important factor associated with long-term HRQL regardless of other factors such as ASIA grade or IVDU. Given prior literature demonstrating the protective effect of operative intervention on ambulatory function, this highlights ambulatory dysfunction as a potential indication for surgery and a marker of poor long-term prognosis, even in the absence of focal neurologic deficits. Our work also highlights the importance of optimized long-term rehabilitation strategies aimed to preserve ambulatory function in this high-risk population. Level of EvidenceLevel III, cohort study

Subjective Well-Being and Self-Assessed Health of Adolescents: A Longitudinal Cohort Study.

The aim of this study was to investigate the stability and predictors of subjective well-being and self-perceived health in adolescents over a two-year period, focusing on the importance of mental health in overall well-being. Participants in this longitudinal cohort study were surveyed at the ages of 15 (n = 441) and 17 (n = 354) through questionnaires. The data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistical methods. Hierarchical regression was employed to investigate significant predictors of subjective well-being. The subjective well-being and self-perceived health dimensions showed a consistent level of stability throughout the two-year period of secondary education. Additionally, there was a significant correlation between well-being at the beginning and end of this education period. Furthermore, self-perceived health dimensions, particularly general health, vitality, and mental health, were positively associated with well-being at the end of secondary education, highlighting their role in overall subjective well-being. The regression analysis revealed that self-perceived health factors, notably "General health" and "Mental health", significantly predicted overall subjective well-being, enhancing the model's explanatory power beyond gender and economic status. Nevertheless, baseline subjective well-being has the strongest predictive effect on final well-being. This study highlights the importance of psychological and health factors, particularly mental health, that affect the overall well-being of adolescents and emphasizes the need to focus on and improve these factors in order to improve subjective well-being.