We examine the growing number of studies of survey respondents' global self-ratings of health as predictors of mortality in longitudinal studies of representative community samples. Twenty-seven studies in U.S. and international journals show impressively consistent findings. Global self-rated health is an independent predictor of mortality in nearly all of the studies, despite the inclusion of numerous specific health status indicators and other relevant covariates known to predict mortality. We summarize and review these studies, consider various interpretations which could account for the association, and suggest several approaches to the next stage of research in this field.

To estimate the extent of activity and participation of individuals 6 months poststroke and their influence on health-related quality of life (QOL) and overall QOL, information that would be useful in identifying services that stroke patients would need in the community. Inception cohort study. Ten acute care hospitals in metropolitan areas of the province of Quebec. Persons with first-ever stroke, either ischemic or hemorrhagic. In parallel, a population-based sample of community-dwelling individuals without stroke, frequency matched in age and city district, were also recruited. Not applicable. Stroke subjects were interviewed by telephone at 6-month intervals for 2 years of follow-up. The community-dwelling individuals without stroke were also followed. A total of 434 persons were interviewed approximately 6 months poststroke. Their average age +/- standard deviation was 68.4+/-12.5 years; the average age of the 486 controls was 61.7+/-12.4 years. The stroke group scored on average 90.6/100 on the Barthel Index; 39% reported a limitation in functional activities, 54% reported limitations with higher-level activities of daily living such as housework and shopping, and 65% reported restrictions in reintegration into community activities. By using the Medical Outcomes 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), persons with stroke rated their physical health 7 points lower than healthy peers; also, 7 of the 8 subscales of the SF-36 were affected by stroke. Almost 50% of the community-dwelling stroke population lived with sequelae of stroke such that, unless there was a full-time and able-bodied caregiver at home, they needed some form of home help. A large proportion also reported lack of meaningful activity, indicating a need for organized support groups for people with stroke; otherwise, boredom will lead to depression and worsening of function, affect, health status, and QOL. Copyright 2002 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Self-ratings of health by individuals responding to surveys have shown themselves to be potent predictors of mortality in a growing number of studies; they appear to contribute significant additional independent information to health status indicators gathered through self-reported health histories or medical examinations. A key question raised by these studies is: What are the mediating processes involved in the association? Specifically, do poor self-ratings increase the risk of disability and morbidity, and are these outcomes intervening steps in the link to mortality? In this report we address the first question, of self-ratings predicting future levels of functional disability, our choice of an index of overall impact of morbidity. Data come from the New Haven Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly (EPESE) site (N = 2,812). Results show that self-ratings of health in 1982, net of baseline functional ability, health and sociodemographic status, are associated with changes in functional ability over periods of one through six years. These findings extend our understanding of the meaning of excellent, good, fair, and poor ratings of health, and that they have implications not just for survival but for the loss or maintenance of functional ability in daily life.