Self –rated health: gender differences associated with chronic illness and disability

Background: Self-rated health (SRH) reliability to predict mortality has already been shown. However, differences on SHR among gender have been found, and its importance was highlighted because mortality prediction seems different among male and female. This study aims to compare SRH and associated factors among men and women from a representative sample of Brazilian adults. Method: Data from individuals over 24 years who answered the Health supplement of National Household Sample Survey (PNAD 2008) was analyzed. Logistic models were constructed to predict poor SRH. Independent variables include gender, age, socio-demographics, chronic illness and disability. Results: Overall 29.6 (SE 0.2) of men and 34.6 (SE 0.2) reported a poor health. Independent variables associated with a poor SRH include: low income (OR 3.02 (CI 2.88-3.16)), depression (OR 3.24 (CI 3.07-3.43)), diabetes (OR 2.71 (CI 2.55-2.88)), daily activities (OR 2.21(CI 2.08-2.34)) and instrumental limitations (OR 2.25(CI 2.15-2.37)). Women usually have worst evaluation of health, but men with daily activities/ instrumental limitations have a higher chance of fair/poor SRH (OR 1.43 (CI 1.30-1.57) and OR 1.52(CI 1.41-1.63)). Conclusion: Data show an interaction among gender and disability on SRH which is important for the planning of health care.