Original Article   OPEN ACCESS

The validity of using self-reported illness to measure objective health

Paul Andrew Bourne
Department of Community Health and Psychiatry
Faculty of Medical Sciences, Mona, Kingston 7, Jamaica W.I.

Citation: Bourne PA. The validity of using self-reported illness to measure objective health. North Am J Med Sci 2009; 1: 232-238.    
doi: 10.4297/najms.2009.5232
Availability: www.najms.org
ISSN: 1947 – 2714

Abstract
Background: There is a longstanding discourse on whether self-reported health is a good measure of objective health. This has never been empirical examined in Jamaica. Aims: Study seeks to 1) examine the relationship between particular subjective and objective indexes; 2) investigate the validity of a 4-week subjective index in measuring objective indexes; 3) evaluate the differences that exist between the measurement of subjective and objective indexes by the sexes; and 4) provide policy makers, other researchers, public health practitioners as well as social workers with research information with which can be used to inform their directions. Materials and Methods: Data published by the Statistical Institute of Jamaica, and the Planning Institute of Jamaica and the Statistical Institute of Jamaica were used for this study.  Descriptive statistics were used to provide background information on data. Scatter diagrams were employed to establish 1) statistical associations, and 2) linearity and non-linearity between variables under examination. Multiple regression, using the enter method, was employed to a predictive model of linear associations. Results: A strong significant association was found between life expectancy at birth for the Jamaican population and self-reported illness (r = -0.731); and this was weaker females (r = - 0.683) than males (r = - 0.796). However, the relationship between mortality and self-reported illness was a weak non-linear one. Conclusions: Self-reported illness in a 4-week reference period is a good measure of objective health and that self-reported illness for males was a better measure for objective health than for females.

Keywords: Self-reported illness, objective health, subjective health, public health, Jamaica.

Correspondence to: Paul Andrew Bourne, Research Fellow and Social Demographer, Department of Community Health and Psychiatry, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, Kingston 7, Jamaica. Tel: (876) 457-6990. Email: paulbourne1@yahoo.com