Regular and negative self-rated health in students from a public university from Northeastern, Brazil: prevalence and associated factors/Autoavaliacao de saude regular e negativa em estudantes de uma universidade publica do Nordeste do Brasil: prevalencia e fatores associados

Self-rated health is a major health indicator and has been widely used in epidemiologic surveys. Current study analyzes the factors associated to regular and negative self-rated health in Brazilian college students. Current investigation is a segment of the 2010 MONISA study carried out in a Brazilian public university with 5,461 students. Estimated sample comprised 1,232 university students and results showed self-rated regular and negative health. Multinomial logistic regression estimated Odds Ratio (OR). The factors associated to regular health self-evaluation negative assessment of relationship with professors (OR: 1.85; CI95%: 1.20-2.87); inactivity in leisure (OR: 2.34; CI95%: 1.73-3.16); insufficient consumption of vegetables; almost daily consumption of soft drinks; assessment of intermediate and negative stress (OR: 3.34; CI95%: 2.11-5.28). Students inactive in leisure (OR: 2.37; 95%CI: 1.09-5.13), students with selfevaluated negative stress (OR: 10.1; 95%CI: 3.23-31.8) and obese students (OR: 4.52; 95%CI: 1.36-15.0) were associated to the negative health self-assessment. It has been verified that health behavior is rather associated to the regular self-assessment of health, whereas perceptive and biological indicators were more associated to negative health self-assessment. Keywords: health status, health behavior, obesity, students, cross-sectional studies. A autoavaliacao da saude representa um importante indicador de saude e tem sido amplamente utilizado em inqueritos epidemiologicos. O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar os fatores associados a autoavaliacao de saude regular e negativa em estudantes universitarios brasileiros. Este artigo e derivado do Estudo MONISA, realizado em 2010 em uma instituicao publica universitaria brasileira composta por 5.461 estudantes. A amostra estimada foi de 1.232 estudantes universitarios e o desfecho foi a autoavaliacao de saude regular e negativa. A regressao logistica multinomial foi empregada para estimar a Razao de Chances (RC). Os fatores associados a autoavaliacao regular da saude foram: avaliacao negativa dos relacionamentos com os professores (RC: 1,85; IC95%: 1,20-2,87), inativos no lazer (RC: 2,34; IC95%: 1,73-3,16), consumo insuficiente de hortalicas, consumo de refrigerantes na maioria dos dias, avaliacao do estresse negativo (RC: 3,34; IC95%: 2,11-5,28). Foram associados a autoavaliacao negativa da saude os estudantes inativos no lazer (RC: 2,37; IC95%: 1,09-5,13), que autoavaliaram o estresse c