Self-Reported Health Among Older Bangladeshis: How Good a Health Indicator Is It?

PURPOSE: This study examines the value of self-reported health (SRH) as an indicator of underlying health status in a developing country setting. DESIGN AND METHODS: Logistic regression methods with adjustments for multistage sampling are used to examine the factors associated with SRH in 2,921 men and women aged 50 and older in rural Bangladesh. RESULTS: SRH incorporates multiple dimensions of health status (including physical disability assessed by measured physical performance; self-reported limitations in activities of daily living, or ADLs; self-reported chronic morbidity; and self-reported acute morbidity), severity, comorbidity, and trajectory in a similar fashion for both men and women and for different age groups. Older individuals are more likely to report poor SRH than their younger counterparts, and women report…