Cockerham W C, Sharp K, Wilcox J A
J Gerontol. 1983 May;38(3):349-55. doi: 10.1093/geronj/38.3.349.
Using a probability sample of 660 adults in Illinois, this study focuses on the relationship between age and perceived health status. According to age stratification theory, age groups need to be analyzed as age-specific entities that exist in relation to other sets of age groups. Following this perspective these data examine differences across the spectrum of adult age groups in this sample in regard to self-assessments of health. Number of symptoms was the strongest predictor of perceived health status employed in this analysis, followed by age, education, and race. It was found that those persons belonging to age groups over the age of 60 tend to perceive their own health in a significantly more positive fashion than members of younger adult age groups. The more educated elderly persons and those with the fewest symptoms, however, were most likely to hold this perception. One important area in which people appear to adjust their perception in later life is in their evaluation of personal health status.
本研究以伊利诺伊州660名成年人的概率样本为对象，重点关注年龄与感知健康状况之间的关系。根据年龄分层理论，年龄组需要作为与其他年龄组相关存在的特定年龄实体进行分析。按照这一观点，这些数据检验了该样本中成年年龄组在健康自我评估方面的差异。症状数量是本分析中感知健康状况最强的预测因素，其次是年龄、教育程度和种族。研究发现，60岁以上年龄组的人往往比年轻成年年龄组的成员对自己的健康有更积极的看法。然而，受教育程度较高的老年人和症状最少的人最有可能持有这种看法。人们在晚年似乎会调整其认知的一个重要领域是对个人健康状况的评估。
