nach oben

International Journal of Public Health

Erschienen in:

01.06.2014 | Original Article

Health conditions in regions of Eastern and Western Europe

verfasst von: Dorota Weziak-Bialowolska

Erschienen in: International Journal of Public Health | Ausgabe 3/2014

Einloggen, um Zugang zu erhalten

Abstract

Objectives

We report health conditions in the regions of the European Union (EU) from both objective and subjective perspectives and verify whether drawing conclusions regarding the health conditions in different countries without considering the countries’ sub-national variability may lead to inaccurate results.

Methods

To depict health conditions in the EU regions, two classification methods are used: (1) hierarchical clustering with Ward’s method and squared Euclidean distance and (2) k-mean clustering. To illustrate the intra-country variability of health conditions, the coefficients of variation are computed.

Results

Health conditions are considerably better in the western regions of the EU. Objective and subjective health measures do not always coincide. Extensive within-country differences in health conditions exist.

Conclusions

The EU is clearly split into the EU-15 and Central and Eastern European countries; however, this division is observed with respect to objective health conditions only. Inclusion of self-perceived health status in the analysis measures considerably changes this picture.

Nur mit Berechtigung zugänglich

Allison RA, Foster JE (2004) Measuring health inequality using qualitative data. J Health Econ 23:505–524. doi:10.1016/j.jhealeco.2003.10.006 PubMedCrossRef

Allutis C, Chiotan C, Michelsen K et al (2013) Review of public health capacity in the EU. European Commission Directorate General for Health and Consumers, Luxembourg

Ambrasat J, Schupp J, Wagner GG (2011) Comparing the predictive power of subjective and objective health indicators: changes in handgrip strength and overall satisfaction with life as predictors of mortality. SOEP Pap. Multidiscip. Panel Data Res, p 398

Arnold R, Ranchor AV, Koëter GH et al (2005) Consequences of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and chronic heart failure: the relationship between objective and subjective health. Soc Sci Med 61:2144–2154. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2005.04.025 PubMedCrossRef

Baker M, Stabile M, Deri C (2001) What do self-reported, objective, measures of health measure? Work Pap Natl Bur Econ Res 8419:1–52

Becker SO, Egger PH, von Ehrlich M (2010) Going NUTS: the effect of EU Structural Funds on regional performance. J Public Econ 94:578–590. doi:10.1016/j.jpubeco.2010.06.006 CrossRef

Bertrand M, Mullainathan S (2001) Do people mean what they say? Implications for subjective survey data. Econ Soc Behav 91:67–72

Bialowolski P, Weziak-Bialowolska D (2013) The index of household financial condition, combining subjective and objective indicators: an appraisal of Italian households. Soc Indic Res. doi:10.1007/s11205-013-0401-0

Bound J (1991) Self-reported versus objective measures of health in retirement models. J Hum Resour 26(1):106–138CrossRef

Bourne PA (2009) The validity of using self-reported illness to measure objective health. N Am J Med Sci 1:232–238. doi:10.4297/najms.2009.5232 PubMedPubMedCentral

Brennan ME, Clare PH (1980) The relationship between mortality and two indicators of morbidity. J Epidemiol Community Health 34:134–138PubMedCrossRefPubMedCentral

Cappeliez P, Sèvre-Rousseau S, Landreville P, Préville M (2004) Physical health, subjective health, and psychological distress in older adults: reciprocal relationships concurrently and over time. Ageing Int 29:247–266. doi:10.1007/s12126-996-1001-y CrossRef

Cho J, Martin P, Margrett J et al (2011) The relationship between physical health and psychological well-being among oldest-old adults. J Aging Res. doi:10.4061/2011/605041 PubMedPubMedCentral

Colman E, Symoens S, Bracke P (2012) Professional health care use and subjective unmet need for social or emotional problems: a cross-sectional survey of the married and divorced population of Flanders. BMC Health Serv Res. doi:10.1186/1472-6963-12-420 PubMedPubMedCentral

Darko R, Adanu RM, Duda RB et al (2012) The health of adult women in Accra, Ghana: self-reporting and objective assessments 2008–2009. Ghana Med J 46:50–57PubMedCentral

Fayers PM, Sprangers MAG (2002) Understanding self-rated health. Lancet 359:187–188PubMedCrossRef

Filipkowski KB, Smyth JM, Rutchick AM et al (2010) Do healthy people worry? Modern health worries, subjective health complaints, perceived health, and health care utilization. Int J Behav Med 17:182–188. doi:10.1007/s12529-009-9058-0 PubMedCrossRef

Graham C (2008) Happiness and health: lessons—and questions—for public policy. Health Econ 27:72–87. doi:10.1377/hlthaff.27.1.72

Gruenberg EM (2005) The failures of success. Milbank Q 83:779–800. doi:10.1111/j.1468-0009.2005.00400.x PubMedCrossRefPubMedCentral

HLS-EU Consortium (2012) Comparative report on health literacy in eight EU Member States. The European Health Literacy Project 2009–2012

Huisman M, Deeg DJH (2010) A commentary on Marja Jylhä’s “What is self-rated health and why does it predict mortality? Towards a unified conceptual model”(69:3, 2009, 307–316). Soc Sci Med 70:652–654. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2009.11.003 PubMedCrossRef

Johnston DW, Propper C, Shields MA (2009) Comparing subjective and objective measures of health: evidence from hypertension for the income/health gradient. J Health Econ 28:540–552PubMedCrossRef

Jylhä M (2009) What is self-rated health and why does it predict mortality? Towards a unified conceptual model. Soc Sci Med 69:307–316. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2009.05.013 PubMedCrossRef

Kalwij A, Vermeulen F (2008) Health and labour force participation of older people in Europe: what do objective health indicators add to the analysis? Health Econ 17:619–638. doi:10.1002/hec.1285 PubMedCrossRef

Leinonen R, Heikkinen E, Jylhä M (2002) Changes in health, functional performance and activity predict changes in self-rated health: a 10-year follow-up study in older people. Arch Gerontol Geriatr 35:79–92PubMedCrossRef

Manderbacka K, Lundberga O, Martikainenc P (1999) Do risk factors and health behaviours contribute to self-ratings of health? Soc Sci Med 48:1713–1720PubMedCrossRef

Mays N, Chinn S (1989) Relation between all cause standardised mortality ratios and two indices of deprivation at regional and district level in England. J Epidemiol Community Health 43:191–199PubMedCrossRefPubMedCentral

Murberg TA, Bru E, Svebak S et al (1997) The role of objective health indicators in perceived health and psychological well-being among patients with chronic heart failure. Pers Individ Diff 22:867–875CrossRef

Murray CJL, Chen LC (1992) Understanding morbidity change. Popul Dev Rev 18:481–503CrossRef

Perrig-Chiello P, Perrig WJ, Stahelin HB (1999) Health control beliefs in old age-relationship with subjective and objective health, and health behaviour. Psychol Health Med 4:83–94CrossRef

Prince SA, Adamo KB, Hamel ME et al (2008) A comparison of direct versus self-report measures for assessing physical activity in adults: a systematic review. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. doi:10.1186/1479-5868-5-56 PubMedPubMedCentral

Rosen HS, Wu S (2004) Portfolio choice and health status. J Financ Econ 72:457–484CrossRef

Saevareid HI, Thygesen E, Nygaard HA, Lindstrom TC (2007) Does sense of coherence affect the relationship between self-rated health and health status in a sample of community-dwelling frail elderly people? Aging Ment Health 11:658–667. doi:10.1080/13607860701368513 PubMedCrossRef

Schneider G, Driesch G, Kruse A et al (2004) What influences self-perception of health in the elderly? The role of objective health condition, subjective well-being and sense of coherence. Arch Gerontol Geriatr 39:227–237. doi:10.1016/j.archger.2004.03.005 PubMedCrossRef

Schoenfeld DE, Malmrose LC, Blazer DG et al (1994) Self-rated health and mortality in the high-functioning elderly—a closer look at healthy individuals: macArthur field study of successful aging. J Gerontol 49:M109–M115PubMedCrossRef

Sen A (2002) Health: perception versus observation. Br Med J 324:860–861CrossRef

Vandenberg RJ, Lance CE (2000) A review and synthesis of the measurement invariance literature: suggestions, practices, and recommendations for organizational research. Organ Res Methods 3:4–70CrossRef

WHO (2013) Health literacy. The solid facts. World Health Organisation. http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/190655/e96854.pdf

Titel: Health conditions in regions of Eastern and Western Europe
verfasst von: Dorota Weziak-Bialowolska
Publikationsdatum: 01.06.2014
Verlag: Springer Basel
Erschienen in: International Journal of Public Health / Ausgabe 3/2014
Print ISSN: 1661-8556
Elektronische ISSN: 1661-8564
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-014-0548-8

Springer Medizin

Abstract

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Bitte loggen Sie sich ein, um Zugang zu diesem Inhalt zu erhalten

Weitere Artikel der Ausgabe 3/2014

Explaining health inequalities: the role of space and time

Exploring subgroup effects by socioeconomic position of three effective school-based dietary interventions: the European TEENAGE project

Practices and opinions regarding HPV vaccination among French general practitioners: evaluation through two cross-sectional studies in 2007 and 2010

Response in individuals with and without foreign background and application to the National Cohort in Germany: which factors have an effect?

Equity-focused knowledge translation: a framework for “reasonable action” on health inequities

Screening for coronary heart disease and diabetes risk in a dental setting