Subjective perception of health in elderly inpatients

There is evidence that subjective health is an important variable in general health outcomes. It can be an indicator of the individual's overall health status, creating a reliable and valid estimate about health. Quality of life (QoL) assessment can be associated with the individuals’ subjective assessment of their own health status. The aim of the present study was to investigate variables associated with subjective perception of health in older inpatients. Ninety elderly inpatients over 60 years old were interviewed. The perception of health assessment (healthy/unhealthy) allocated elders in either of two groups. All the elders answered sociodemographic questions, the WHOQOL‐100 and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Comparing the group that considered themselves unhealthy to the other group, the former showed a tendency of worse QoL assessments in five out of six domains investigated. Significant differences were found for the physical and level of independence domains, as well as overall QoL. There was a significant association between health perception and lower intensity of depressive symptoms, as well as better QoL perception in the level of independence domain. This study shows the existence of an association between depressive symptoms and health assessment. It also suggests that the independence dimension is important in the elders’ perception of their health status. These findings can help identify cause–effect relations between variables in aging studies involving health indicators and bring new intervention proposals for the elderly. La santé subjective est une variable qui a un impact important sur les résultats de santé générale. Elle peut constituer un indicateur du statut de santé de la personne dans son ensemble, générant une estimation fiable et valide à propos de la santé. L'évaluation de la qualité de vie (QV) peut être associée avec l'évaluation subjective que l'individu fait de son propre statut de santé. Le but de la présente étude était d'examiner les variables associées avec la perception subjective de santé de patients âgés hospitalisés. Quatre‐vingt‐dix patients âgés de plus de 60 ans ont été interrogés. L'évaluation de la perception de santé (en santé/non en santé) a permis de répartir les patients dans un de ces deux groupes. Tous les aînés ont répondu à des questions sociodémographiques, au WHOQOL‐100 et à l'Inventaire de dépression de Beck (IDB). Une comparaison des deux groupes a permis de constater que le groupe ne se co