Abstract
Objective
To verify the relationship between positive self-perception of health (positive SPH) in less-educated older adults and demographic, social participation, and behavioral variables.
Methods
This was a cross-sectional study (n=12,367), with elderly people over 60 years old of both sexes, with up to four years of study from several cities in Brazil, interviewed by the National Health Survey of the year 2019. For the analysis of data, the prevalence was initially described, and later, three Poisson regression models with robust adjustment for variance were constructed, with the analyzes being stratified by sex
Results
The prevalence of positive SPH was 38.8% in men and 34.8% in women. The last regression model built revealed associations with a lower positive SPH prevalence in black or brown women. In contrast, higher prevalence levels were found in single women, with higher income, participating in some associations, engaged in religious activities, visiting the doctor more often, physically active, and regularly consuming fruits and vegetables. In men, relationships with lower prevalence were found in blacks or browns and widowers, and higher prevalence levels were found in those engaging in religious activities and visiting the doctor more often.
Conclusions
The study reinforces the importance of policies aimed at improving income, promoting healthy behaviors and encouraging social participation.
Keywords
Lifestyle; Perception; Elderly Health; Population Surveys