The Related Factors Influencing on Self-rated Health Level of Middle-aged Women

Article information

Korean J Community Nutr. 2012;17(3):290-301

Publication date (electronic) : 2012 June 30

doi : https://doi.org/10.5720/kjcn.2012.17.3.290

Hyejin Lee , Kyung-Hea Lee , Eunkyung Kim ¹, Mi-Jung Kim ², Suk-Man Hwang ³

Department of Food and Nutrition, Changwon National University, Gyeongnam, Korea

¹Department of Child and Family, Changwon National University, Gyeongnam, Korea.

²Department of Food and Nutrition, Silla University, Busan, Korea.

³Department of Sociology, Changwon National University, Gyeongnam, Korea.

Corresponding author: Kyung-Hea Lee, Department of Food and Nutrition, Changwon National University, 9 Sarimdong, Uichanggu, Changwon, Gyeongnam 641-773, Korea. Tel: (055) 213-3514, Fax: (055) 281-7480, khl@changwon.ac.kr

Received 2012 March 19; Revised 2012 April 19; Accepted 2012 May 14.

Abstract

This survey of 836 midlife women (51.0 ± 4.0 yrs) was undertaken by exclusively a face to face interview by well-trained interviewers guarantying data collection of higher quality. This survey data was analyzed using the SPSS program. The main purpose of this study was to describe the factors affecting self-rated health status, including dietary habits and physical · mental · social factors. In the self-rated health status of a 'good' group, age was lower (p < 0.05), monthly income was higher (p < 0.01), dietary habits score (p < 0.001) and appetite (p < 0.001) and the degree of movement (p < 0.001) and life satisfaction (p < 0.001), marital intimacy (p < 0.001) and relationship satisfaction with their children (p < 0.001) were significantly higher than the 'bad' group. The level of depression (p < 0.001) and severe feeling of menopausal symptoms (p < 0.001) were significantly higher in the 'poor' group. The results of correlation analysis demonstrated that educational level (r = 0.069, p < 0.05),income (r = 0.157, p < 0.001), eating habits (r = 0.235, p < 0.001), appetite (r = 0.263, p < 0.001), life satisfaction (r = 0.197, p < 0.001), marital intimacy (r = 0.167, p < 0.001), child relationship satisfaction (r = 0.149, p < 0.001), positive attitude toward menopause (r = 0.070, p < 0.05) showed a positive correlation, but depression (r = -0.122, p < 0.001) and menopausal symptoms (r = -0.292, p < 0.001) showed a negative association with self-rated health status. The predictable factors affecting the self-rated health status of middle-aged women were examined by multiple regression analysis. The 'menopausal symptoms - physical discomfort' was the most important variables followed by the 'appetite', 'eating habits', 'menopause symptoms - sensory problems', 'BMI', 'positive attitude toward menopause' and 'high marital intimacy'. These results showed that the 'appetite' and 'eating habits' are important factors affecting the self-rated health status. Therefore, a program of dietary education must be considered for the effective health education and counseling of middle-aged women.

Keywords: middle-aged women; women's health; self-rated health status; menopausal women

Notes

This study was financially supported by the 2009 research fund(09-41) from Management Center for Health Promotion in Republic of Korea and by Changwon National University in 2011.

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Article information Continued

Table 1

General Informations of subjects by self-rated health levels

1) Values are Mean ± SD.

2) N (%)

^*: p < 0.05: Significantly different by Student's t-test

^**: p < 0.01: Significantly different by Student's t-test

Table 2

Dietary related factors by self-rated health levels

1) Values are Mean ± SD.

2) 4-point scale (1: Not at all, 2: Tend to not well, 3: Tend to well, 4: Very well)

3) 4-point scale (1: No, 2: Less, 3: Good, 4: Very well)

4) N (%)

^***: p < 0.001: Significantly different by Student's t-test

Table 3

Scores of dietary habits by self-rated health levels

1) Values are Mean ± SD.

^*: p < 0.05, ^**: p < 0.01, ^***: p < 0.001

Table 4

BMI and menopausal symptoms by self-rated health levels

1) BMI = kg/m²

2) 5-point Likert scale (1: Not at all, 5: Very well)

3) 5-point Likert scale (1: Not at all, 5: Very much)

^***: p < 0.001: Significantly different by Student's t-test

Table 5

Comparisons in life style by self-rated health levels

1) Values are Mean ± SD.

2) N (%)

^***: p < 0.001: Significantly different by Student's t-test

Table 6

Mental health scores by self-rated health levels

1) 5-point Likert scale (1: Not at all, 5: Very well)

2) 4-point Likert scale (1: Not at all, 4: Always)

^***: p < 0.001: Significantly different by Student's t-test

Table 7

Familial characteristics by self-rated health levels

1) 5-point Likert scale (1: Not at all, 2: Tend to not well, 3: Common, 4: Tend to well, 5: Very well)

2) 5-point Likert scale (1: Not at all, 2: Tend to not satisfied, 3: Common, 4: Tend to satisfied, 5: Very satisfied)

3) Values are Mean ± SD.

^***: p < 0.001: Significantly different by Student's t-test

Table 8

Correlation in variables with the self-rated health levels

^*: p < 0.05, ^***: p < 0.001

Table 9

Related factors influencing on self-rated health status by multiple regression analysis