Self-rated health and reasons for ratings among Irish older adults

McHugh, Joanna E., Cunningham, Clodagh, Crosby, Lisa and Lawlor, Brian A. (2014) Self-rated health and reasons for ratings among Irish older adults. The Irish Journal of Psychology, 35 (4). pp. 205-215. ISSN 2158-0812

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Abstract

Limited qualitative findings are available concerning the rationale given for rating one's health, particularly in an Irish context. We had the opportunity to investigate explanations given by older adults about their self-rated health, among a sample of 447 older adults. Qualitative interview data were gathered using a telephone assessment. Data were analysed using the thematic framework approach. Participants also rated their own health using a verbal rating scale, where 1 represents poor health and 10 represents optimal health. ‘Absence of disease’, ‘psychological functioning’, ‘specific troubles’, ‘age and physiology’, ‘health care utilisation’ and ‘mobility and functioning’ were found to be the main themes of explanation referred to by the sample. Five per cent of the sample were non-reflective about their self-rated health, and gave no reasons for their ratings. Typically, individuals with lower self-rated health tended to allude to specific troubles and mobility issues, while those with high self-rated health attributed this to their lack of health care utilisation and lack of disease or mobility issues. We hereby report novel explanations for rating personal health among community-dwelling older Irish adults. These results provide a basis for understanding how the older Irish rate cohort their own health, and what it takes for them to experience themselves as healthy.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > Psychology H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare > Welfare of older people
Divisions:	School of Business > Staff Research and Publications
Depositing User:	Caoimhe Ní Mhaicín
Date Deposited:	02 Oct 2015 10:28
Last Modified:	17 Nov 2017 12:56
URI:	https://norma.ncirl.ie/id/eprint/1978

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