Research on self-rated health measurement scale

doi:10.3321/j.issn:1673-8225.2004.36.002

Abstract：BACKGROUND: Previous research always adopts a general self-rated indicator(excellent, good, fair, poor) to assess people's own health. However,this kind of measurement hardly reflects the real meaning of self-rated health. Due to the cultural background, social structure and values, there is difference on the connotation of self-rated health among different countries. At present, China has not established its own self-rated health indicator system and assessment methods. Thus, it is necessary for us to conduct research on quantitative methods of self-rated health that is suitable for Chinese situation.OBJECTIVE: Based on the definition of health by WHO, the medical model has changed from biological medical mode to biological-mental-social medical mode while the measurement of health has experienced changes form one dimensional to multiple dimensional, population to individual, and negative to positive. It requires that research on self-rated health measurement methods should screen self-rated health assessment indicators from physical, mental and social health aspects in order to overcome the shortage of the previous ones while developing self-rated health measure scale therefore it can reflect the real meaning of self-rated health more roundly, detailed and accurately.DESIGN: A cross-sectional study.SETTINGS: Department of Pharmacology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University; Department of Psychology, Southern Medical University; Department of Statistics, Jinan University.PARTICIPANTS: This study was completed in the Department of Pharmacology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University; Department of Psychology, Southern Medical University; Department of Statistics, Jinan University from January 2002 to December 2003. Totally 2 000 individuals were selected from Guangzhou and Haikou cities to conduct in-field testing. From the returned questionnaires, 335 individuals were randomly selected among which there were 60 students in universities of Guangzhou, 90 students from military universities, 50 patients suffered from skin disease in the 187 Hospital of Chinese PLA in Haikou city, 30 inpatients of the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chinese PLA General Hospital of Guangzhou Military Area Command, 50 retired cadres of the Chinese PLA Convalescent Hospital of Guangzhou Military Area Command, and 55 pregnant women from the Dongshan District Hospital Health Care for Women and Children of Guangzhou city. Inclusive criteria: aged 14 to 65 years old, patients can independently finish daily life, study and work with mild situation, and normal healthy pregnant women, educational level was higher than junior high school. Exclusive criteria: younger than 14 or older than 65 years old, moderate or severe patients(impacted daily study, work and life), pregnant women with primary or secondary diseases and people with mental problem or suffering from metal symptoms, educational level was lower than junior high school.INTERVENTIONS: Testing was repeated at the interval of 1 and 4 weeks after first testing to the 60 students of universities in Guangzhou city, 90 students in military universities, 50 patients suffered from skin diseases in the 187 Hospital of Chinese PLA in Haikou city, 30 inpatients of the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chinese PLA General Hospital of Guangzhou Military Area Command, 50 retired cadres of the Chinese PLA Convalescent Hospital of Guangzhou Military Area Command. Fifty-five pregnant women from the Dongshan District Hospital Health Care for Women and Children of Guangzhou city were taken the testing again 1 week and 42 days after delivery. Delphi method was used to preselect the indicators by consulting 50 experts for 3 to 5 rounds. In field investigation and statistic analysis were applied to screen and confirm the indicators. Psychometric techniques, such as reliability, validity and responsiveness, were used to check the scale. Linear analogue self-assessment was adopted to perform quantitative self-assessment.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Reliability, validity and and sensitive. It reflects the real meaning of self-rated health roundly, detailed and accurately from the quantitative angle. It is easy to operate and very economic and practical for measuring health with Chinese cultural background.