Background: There is a need for an instrument to record a life-course perspective of self-rated health. Aim: To test the ``health-line'' , a simple, comprehensive method of collecting data on self-rated health over time. Method: In 1996, a questionnaire was mailed to people who in 1985 were aged between 25 and 34 years old and had a sick-leave spell >28 days with ``back diagnoses'' . They were asked to rate their global health graphically with a ``health-line'' for the years 1985- 95. Official data on sick leave and disability pension were obtained for the same period. In all, 37 out of 52 men and 60 out of 83 women answered; that is, they drew a health-line. Result: A statistically significant negative correlation between the mean number of absence days due to ill health and the health-line data was found for every year (r = -0.35 to - 0.53; p<0.001) and for the whole period 1985- 95 (r= -0.546; p<0.001 ) respectively. Conclusion: The method worked well and is well worth further development and testing.
Bjorner J., Sondergaard Kristensen T., Orth-Gomér K., Tibblin G., Sullivan M., Westerholm P.Self-rated health: a useful concept in research, prevention and clinical medicine. Report 96: 9. Stockholm: FRN- Forskningsrådsnämnden (The Swedish council for planning and coordination of research), 1996.
2.
Nilsson P, Orth-Gomér K, editors. Self-rated health in a European perspective. Report 2000: 2. Stockholm: FRN - Forskningsrådsnämnden (The Swedish council for planning and coordination of research), 2000.
3.
Kaplan G., Barell V., Lusky A.Subjective state of health and survival in elderly adults. J Gerontol1988; 43(4): S114-S20.
4.
Ware JE Jr, Keller SD, Gandek B., Brazier JE, Sullivan M.The IQOLA Project GroupEvaluating translations of health status questionnaires - methods from IQOLA Project. Int J Tech Assess Health Care1995; 11: 525- 51.
5.
Idler EL, Kasl S.Health perceptions and survival: do global evaluations of health status really predict mortality? J Gerontol1991; 46(2): S55- S65.
6.
Lohr KNWare JE Jr.Advances in health status assessment. Conference Proceedings I. J Chron Dis1987; 40: S1-S191.
7.
Lohr KNAdvances in health status assessment. Conference Proceedings II. Med Care1989; 27: S1-S294.
8.
Lohr KNAdvances in health status assessment. Conference Proceedings III. Med Care1992; 30: S1-S293.
9.
Schumaker SA, Berzon R, editors. The international assessment of health-related quality of life: theory, translation, measurement & analysis. Oxford: Rapid Communications, 1995.
10.
Undén A., Elofsson S.Självupplevd hälsa (Self-rated health. Factors infl uencing persons rating). (In Swedish.) Report 98: 7. Stockholm: FRN- Forskningsrådsnämnden (The Swedish council for planning and coordination of research), 1998.
11.
Streiner D., Norman G.Health measurement scales: a practical guide to their development and use . Oxford, New York, Tokyo: Oxford University Press, 1989: 7.
12.
Bowling A.Measuring disease. A review of diseasespecific quality of life measurement scales. Buchingham, UK: Open University Press, 1995.
13.
Benyamini Y. , Idler EL, Leventhal H., Leventhal EAPositive affect and function as infl uences on self-assessments of health: expanding our view beyond illness and disability . J Gerontol2000; 55B(2): 107-16.
14.
Mossey JM, Shapiro E.Self-rated health: a predictor of mortality among the elderly. Am J Public Health1982; 72: 800-8.
15.
Kaplan GA, Camacho T.Perceived health and mortality: a nine-year follow-up of the human population laboratory cohort. Am J Epidemiol1982; 117: 292-304.
16.
Idler EL, Benyamini Y.Self-rated health and mortality: a review of twenty-seven community studies . J Health Soc Behav1997; 38: 21-37.
17.
Ferraro KF, Farmer MM, Wybraniec JAHealth trajectories: long-term dynamics among black and white adults . J Health Soc Behav1997; 38: 38- 54.
18.
Marmot M., Feeney A., Shipley M., North F., Syme SLSickness absence as a measure of health status and functioning: from the UK Whitehall II study. J EpdemiolCommunity Health1995; 49: 124-30.
19.
Alexanderson K.Sickness absence: a review of performed studies with focused on levels of exposures and theories utilized. Scand J Soc Med1998; 26: 241-9.
20.
Alexanderson K.Measuring health. Indicators for working women. In: Kilbom Å, Messing K, Torbjörnsson CB, editors. Women's health at work. Stockholm: Arbetslivsinstitutet , 1998: 121-61.
21.
Markus H. Work, women and well-being.A life course perspective in women's lives: new theory research and policy . Ann Arbor: Centre for Continuing Education of Women, 1980.
22.
Bjerén G, Elgqvist-Saltzman I, editors. Gender and education in a life perspective. Aldershot, Brookfield , USA, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sidney: Avebury, Ashgate Publishing Limited, England, 1994.
23.
Wahl A.Könsstrukturer i organisationer. Kvinnliga civilekonomers och civilingenjörers karriärutveckling (The gender structure of organizations. The career development of female economists and civil engineers). (In Swedish.) [Doctorial dissertation] . Stockholm: University of Stockholm , Stockholm School of Economics, 1992.
24.
Elias P.Methodological, statistical and practical issues arising from the collection and analysis of work history information by survey techniques. Bulletin de méthodologie sociologique1991; 31(June): 3-31.
25.
Blane DBCollecting retrospective data: development of a reliable method and a pilot study of its use. Soc Sci Med1996 ; 42: 751-7.
26.
Nilsen A.Women's ways of careering. A life-course approach to the occupational careers of three cohorts of engineers and teachers. Bergen : University of Bergen, Department of Sociology, 1992 a.
27.
Lundberg O. , Manderbacka K.Assessing reliability of a measure of self-rated health. Scand J Soc Med1996 ; 24: 218-24.
28.
Fylkesnes K. , Förde OHThe Tromsö Study: predictors of self-evaluated health - has society adopted the expanded health concept?Soc Sci Med1991; 32: 141-6.
29.
Kuh D., Ben-Schlomo Y.A life course approach to chronic disease epidemiology. London: Oxford University Press, 1997.
30.
Moss L, Goldstein H, editors. The recall method in social surveys. London : University of London/Institute of Education, 1979.
31.
Baumgarten M., Siemiatycki J., Gibbs GWValidity of work histories obtained by interview for epidemiologic purposes. Am J Epidemiol1983; 118: 583-91.
32.
Martin CJMonitoring maternity services by postal questionnaire: congruity between mothers' reports and their obstetric records. Stat Med1987; 6: 613-27.
33.
Stewart WF, Tonascia JA, Matanoski GMThe validity of questionnaire-reported work histories in live respondents . J Occup Med1987; 29: 795-800.
34.
Thorbjörnsson CB, Michélsen H., Kilbom Å.Method for retrospective collection of work-related psychosocial risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders: reliability and aggregation . J Occup Health Psychol1999; 4: 193-206.
35.
Theorell T. , Blomkvist V., Lindh G., Evengård B.Critical life events, infections, and symptoms during the year preceding chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS): an examination of CFS patients and subjects with a nonspecific life crisis. Psychosom Med1999; 61: 304-10.
36.
Marton F, Hounsell D, Entwistle N, editors. The experience of learning. Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press, 1984.
37.
Johnson TP, Stallones L., Garrity TF, Marx MBComponents of self-rated health among adults. Analysis of multiple data sources . Int Q Community Health Educ1991; 11: 29-41.
38.
Johnson RJ, Wolinsky FDThe structure of health status among older adults: disease, disability, functional limitation, and perceived health. J Health Soc Behav1993; 34: 105- 21.
39.
Fylkesnäs K. , Förde OHDeterminants and dimensions involved in self-evaluation of health. Soc Sci Med1992; 35: 271-9.
40.
Ferraro KFSelf-ratings of health among the old and the old-old. J Health Soc Behav1980; 21: 377-83.
41.
Jylhä M., Leskinen E., Alanen E., Leskinen A-L., Heikkinen E.Self-rated health and associated factors among men of different ages . J Gerontol1986; 41: 710-17.
42.
Hellström C.Subjective time and temporality in conditions of pain [Doctorial dissertation] . Göteborg: University of Göteborg , Department of Psychology, 1998 .
