Self reported health

Subjective health can be measured with a single question ”How would you describe your present health status?”. It is a strong predictor of future health problems.

In North Karelia, Finland, almost 70% of men and women estimated their health status to be “good”. In Pitkäranta, the Republic of Karelia, only about 40% of men and 30% of women reported having good health. In Pitkäranta, “average” health was more common.

Self-reported health has been reasonably stable in North Karelia since 1998. In Pitkäranta, the proportion of persons reporting “good health” has increased among men, while the proportion of persons with “average” or “poor” health has declined. Among women, the changes are much smaller.

Figure 1. Self-reported health among men in North Karelia, Finland, 1998–2007 (among 15–64-year-olds)

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Figure 2. Self-reported health among women in North Karelia, Finland, 1998–2007 (among 15–64-year-olds)

More information about self reported health in Russian and Finnish Karelia can be found in a series of pictures.
Self reported health (PDF 345 KB)