Department of Health Economics and Health Services Research, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg Center for Health Economics, Hamburg, Germany.
BMC Public Health. 2024 Jan 16;24(1):197. doi: 10.1186/s12889-023-17600-9.
The aim of this study is to explore the determinants of health comparisons (i.e., how individuals rate their health compared to other individuals in their age bracket) in the general adult population (total sample and in different age groups).
Data were used from the general adult population in Germany (wave 46, n = 3,876 individuals; November 2021 to January 2022), based on the GESIS panel, which is a probability-based mixed-mode panel. Health comparisons were used as outcome measure. Socioeconomic, lifestyle-related and health-related determinants were included in regression analysis. Robustness checks were conducted.
Regressions showed that more favorable health comparisons were associated with being male (among individuals up to 39 years), higher age (among the total sample), higher education (among the total sample and individuals up to 39 years), higher income (among the total sample and individuals aged 40 to 64 years), not "being married, and living together with a spouse" (among the total sample), never eating meat (among the total sample, individuals up to 39 years and particularly individuals aged 40 to 64 years), drinking alcohol (among the total sample, individuals aged 40 to 64 years and individuals aged 65 years and over), a higher frequency of sports activities (all groups) and a higher satisfaction with health (also in all groups).
In addition to the evident link between health satisfaction and health comparisons, regression analysis revealed that certain socioeconomic factors, such as a higher income level, along with positive lifestyle-related factors - especially among middle-aged individuals - were significantly associated with more positive health comparisons. This knowledge is required in order to support individuals at risk for negative health comparisons. This is important because negative health comparisons can contribute to poor well-being and poor health outcomes.
本研究旨在探讨一般成年人群体（总样本和不同年龄组）中健康比较（即个体如何评价自己的健康状况与同年龄段其他人相比）的决定因素。
本研究使用了德国一般成年人群体的数据（第 46 波，n=3876 人；2021 年 11 月至 2022 年 1 月），基于 GESIS 面板，这是一个基于概率的混合模式面板。健康比较作为结果衡量指标。将社会经济、生活方式相关和健康相关的决定因素纳入回归分析。进行了稳健性检查。
回归分析表明，更有利的健康比较与男性（在 39 岁以下的个体中）、较高的年龄（在总样本中）、较高的教育程度（在总样本和 39 岁以下的个体中）、较高的收入（在总样本和 40 岁至 64 岁的个体中）、“未婚，与配偶同居”（在总样本中）、从不吃肉（在总样本、39 岁以下的个体中，尤其是 40 岁至 64 岁的个体中）、饮酒（在总样本、40 岁至 64 岁的个体和 65 岁及以上的个体中）、更高的体育活动频率（所有组）和更高的健康满意度（也在所有组）有关。
除了健康满意度与健康比较之间明显的联系外，回归分析还表明，某些社会经济因素，如较高的收入水平，以及积极的生活方式相关因素——尤其是在中年人群中——与更积极的健康比较显著相关。这一知识对于支持处于负面健康比较风险中的个体是必要的。这一点很重要，因为负面的健康比较可能会导致较差的幸福感和较差的健康结果。
