Health attitudes and behaviour as predictors of self-rated health in relation to mortality patterns (17 year follow-up in Polish elderly - Cracow study)

Piotr Brzyski
Beata Tobiasz-Adamczyk

The aim of the study was to examine and identify most important determinants responsible for the relationship between self-rated health status and mortality in noninstitutionalized elderly people. Base-line study was performed in a sample of 2605 citizen of Cracow, age 65 and older. The model of predictors related to self-rated health status, developed on the base of results of principal component analysis, included three indexes: index of individual (family) predisposition, index of care about health in the past and index of attitudes toward health. Multivariate Cox analysis confirmed significant role of self-rating health in mortality patterns for women with high level of care about health in the past. In men positive attitude toward health remained independent predictor of mortality. Multivariate regression model demonstrated that self-rating of health remained significant independent predictor of mortality only in women with low level of individual predispositions and in those with positive attitudes toward health.