Regional Contextual Factors and Self-Rated Health: a Multilevel Study of Korean Adults

  • Lee Sang Gyu (Department of preventive medicine and public health, College of medicine, Dankook university)
  • Published : 2004.12.01

Abstract

Objectives: To examine whether the socioeconomic characteristics of communities (contextual effects) are related to the self-rated health of community residents after controlling individual characteristics (compositional effects). Methods: A linked data set including information on individuals from raw data of 1998 Korean National Health and Nutrition Survey(KNHNS) and information on the regions where the individuals lived from the socioeconomic statistical indices of Si-Gun-Gu (city-county-ward) in 1998 was established. The contextual factors of communities were generated from these socioeconomic indices through factor analysis. The contextual effects of community over and above the individual characteristics on the self-rated health were investigated using multilevel analysis. Results: The contextual factors of the community expressed as the factor scores have influence on the self-rated health of their residents above the compositional factors. When the communities were categorized into 5 groups (highest, high, middle, low, lowest) according to each of their factor scores, for factor 1 reflecting urbanization reversely, the residents of the communities that had the high, middle, and low factor scores showed significantly poor subjective health status than the residents of the lowest (most urbanized) group. For factor 2 reflecting community services and health resources, the subjective health status of the residents gradually became poorer when the group went from the highest to the lowest, and the low and lowest groups showed a significant difference. For factor 3 reflecting the manufacturing industry, as compared with the communities that have the highest factor scores, the other 4 groups showed significantly poorer subjective health status. And for factor 4 reflecting the scale of the regional government, as compared with the middle group, the rest of the 4 groups showed significantly better self-rated health. Conclusions: There existed regional contextual effects on their residents' health in Korean adults. To make policies tackling these contextual effects possible, more elaborate researches to find more specific factors and to explain the mechanisms of how health is influenced by the contextual factors are needed.

Keywords

References

  1. Abelin T, Brzezinski ZJ, Carstairs VDL. Measurement in health promotion and protection. WHO. Regional Publications. European Series; No.22. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe. 1987
  2. Aitkin M, Longford N. Statistical modeling in school effectiveness studies. Journal of the Royal Statistical Society 1986;A149:1-43
  3. Aitkin M, Anderson D, Jinde J. Statistical modeling of data on teaching styles. Journal of the Royal Statistical Society 1981;A144:148-61
  4. Appels A, Bosma H, Grabauskas V, Gostautas A and Sturmans F. Self-rated health and mortality in a Lithuanian and a Dutch population. Soc Sci Med 1996;42(5): 681-9 https://doi.org/10.1016/0277-9536(95)00195-6
  5. Baron-Epel O, Shemy G, and Carmel S. Prediction of survival: a comparison between two subjective health measures in an elderly population. Soc Sci Med 2004;58:2035-43 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0277-9536(03)00412-X
  6. Barrett FA. Finke's 1792 map of human diseases: the first world disease map? Soc Sci Med 2000;50:915-21 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0277-9536(99)00344-5
  7. Bentham G. Mortality rates in the more rural areas of England and Wales. Area 1984; 16:219-26
  8. Blakely TA, Lochner K and Kawachi I. Metropolitan area income inequality and self-rated health--a multi-level study. Soc Sci Med, 2002;54(1):65-77 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0277-9536(01)00007-7
  9. Blakely TA, Kennedy BP, Glass R, and Kawachi I. What is the lag time between income inequality and health status? J Epidemiol Community Health 2000;54:318-9 https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.54.4.318
  10. Britton M. Mortality and geography: a review in the mid-1980s England and Wales. London: Office of Population Censuses and Surveys. 1990
  11. Britton M, Fox A, Goldblatt P, Jones K, and Rosato M. The influences of socio-economic and environmental factors on geographic variation in mortality. In: Britton M.(ed). Mortality and geography: a review in the mid-1980s England and Wales. London: Office of Population Censuses and Surveys: 1990, 57-78
  12. Browning CR, Cagney KA, and Wen M. Explaining variation in health status across space and time: implications for racial and ethnic disparities in self-rated health. Soc Sci Med 2003;57:1221-35 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0277-9536(02)00502-6
  13. Burstrom B and Fredlund P. Self rated health: Is it as good a predictor of subsequent mortality among adults in lower as well as in higher social classes? J Epidemiol Community Health 2001;55(11): 836-40 https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.55.11.836
  14. Carstairs V and Morris R. Deprivation and health in Scotland. Aberdeen: Aberdeen University Press. 1991
  15. Carstairs V and Morris R. Deprivation and mortality: an alternative to social class? Community Med 1989;11:210-9
  16. Chung HK. A study on the impact of community-level characteristics on the mortality level. J Institute Health Environ Sci 1991;1(1):17-50
  17. Curtis S, and Jones IR. Is there a place for geography in the analysis of health inequality? Sociol Health Illness 1998;20(5):645-72 https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.00123
  18. Davey Smith G, Hart C, Watt G, Hole D, and Hawthorne V. Individual social class, area-based deprivation, cardiovascular disease risk factors, and mortality: the Renfrew and Paisley study. J Epidemiol Community Health 1998;52:399-405 https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.52.6.399
  19. Diehr P, Koepsell T, Cheadle A, Psaty BM, Wagner E, and Curry S. Do communities differ in health behaviors? J Clin Epidemiol 1993;46:1141-9 https://doi.org/10.1016/0895-4356(93)90113-F
  20. Diez-Roux AV. Investigating neighborhood and area effects on health. Am J Public Health 2001;91:1783-9 https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.91.11.1783
  21. Diez-Roux AV, Nieto FJ, Muntaner C, Tyroler HA, Comstock GW, Shahar E, Cooper LS, Watson RL, and Szklo M. Neighborhood environments and coronary heart disease: a multilevel analysis. Am J Epidemiol 1997;146(1):48-63 https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a009191
  22. Duncan C, Jones K and Moon G. Do places matter? A multi-level analysis of regional variations in health-related behaviour in Britain. Soc Sci Med 1993;37(6):725-33 https://doi.org/10.1016/0277-9536(93)90366-C
  23. Ferraro KF, Farmer MM, and Wybraniec JA.Health trajectories: long-term dynamics among black and white adults. J Health Soc Behav 1997;38(1):38-54 https://doi.org/10.2307/2955360
  24. Fox A and Goldblatt P. The longitudinal study: socio-demographic mortality differentials. OPCS Series L5.1. London: HMSO. 1982
  25. Goldstein H. Multilevel statistical models. 2nd ed. London: Arnold. 1995
  26. Haan M, Kaplan G, and Camacho T. Poverty and health: prospective evidenced from the Alameda County Study. Am J Epidemiol 1987;125:989-98 https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a114637
  27. Han SH. A study of regional difference of death structure in Korea. Master's thesis, Seoul national university school of public health. 2001
  28. Hart C, Ecob R, and Davey Smith G. People, places and coronary heart disease risk factor: a multilevel analysis of the Scottish Heart Health Study archive. Soc Sci Med 1997;45:893-902 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0277-9536(96)00431-5
  29. Heistaro S, Jousilahti P, Lahelma E, Vartiainen E and Puska P. Self rated health and mortality: a long term prospective study in eastern Finland. J Epidemiol Community Health 2001;55(4):227-32 https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.55.4.227
  30. Humphreys K and Carr-Hill R. Area variations in health outcomes: artefact or ecology. Int J Epidemiol 1991;20(1):251-8 https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/20.1.251
  31. Idler EL and Benyamini Y. Self-rated health and mortality: a review of twenty-seven community studies. J Health Soc Behav 1997;38(1):21-37 https://doi.org/10.2307/2955359
  32. Idler EL and Kasl S. Self-ratings of health: do they also predict change in functional ability? Soc Sci Med 1995;50(6):S344-53
  33. Idler EL. Age differences in self-assessments of health: age changes, cohort differences, or survivorship? J Gerontol 1993;48(6):S289-300 https://doi.org/10.1093/geronj/48.6.S289
  34. Idler EL and Angel RJ. Self-rated health and mortality in the NHANES-I Epidemiologic Follow-up Study. Am J Public Health, 1990;80(4):446-52 https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.80.4.446
  35. Janer G, Sala M, and Kogevinas M. Health promotion trials at worksites and risk factors for cancer. Scandinavian Journal of Work and Environmental Health 2002;28:141-157 https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.658
  36. Jones K, Gould MI and Duncan C. Death and deprivation: an exploratory analysis of deaths in the health and lifestyle survey. Soc Sci Med 2000;50(7-8):1059-79 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0277-9536(99)00355-X
  37. Jones K and Duncan C. Individuals and their ecologies: analysing the geography of chronic illness within a multilevel modelling framework. Health Place 1995;1(1):27-40 https://doi.org/10.1016/1353-8292(95)00004-6
  38. Kaplan GA, Strawbridge WJ, Camacho T, and Cohen RD. Factors associated with change in physical functioning in the elderly: a six-year prospective study. J Aging Health 1993;5:40-53
  39. Kitagawa EM and Hauser PM. Differential mortality in the United States. Cambridge: Harvard university press; 1973, 114-150
  40. Korean Statistical Office. Major statistical indices of Si-Gun-Gu. Seoul: Korean Statistical Office. 2000
  41. Lee SG. Korean regional mortality differences according to geographic location. J Korean Society for Health Education and Promotion 2003;20(4):51-65
  42. Lopez R. Income inequality and self-rated health in US metropolitan areas: a multi-level analysis. Soc Sci Med 2004;59(12):2409-19 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2004.03.033
  43. Marmot M, and Wilkinson RG. Social determinants of health. New York: Oxford University Press. 2000
  44. McIntyre S, and Ellaway A. Ecological approaches: rediscovering the role of the physical and social environment. In: Berkman LF, Kawachi I. (ed). 2000. Social epidemiology. New York: Oxford University Press: 2000, 332-48
  45. McIntyre S, Maciver S, and Sooman A. Area, class and health: should we be focusing on places or people? J Soc Policy 1993;22(2):213-34 https://doi.org/10.1017/S0047279400019310
  46. Merzel C, Joanna D. Reconsidering community-based health promotion: Promise, performance, and potential. Am J Pub Health 2003;93(4):557-574 https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.93.4.557
  47. Miilunpalo S, Vuori I, Oja P, Pasanen M, and Urponen H. Self-rated health status as a health measure: the predictive value of self-reported health status on the use of physician services and on mortality in the working-age population. J Clin Epidemiol 1997;50(5):517-28 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0895-4356(97)00045-0
  48. Mor V, Wilcox V, Rakowski W, and Hiris J. Functional transitions among the elderly: patterns, predictors, and related hospital use. Am J Pub Health 1994;84(8): 1274-80 https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.84.8.1274
  49. Patel KV, Eschbach K, Rudkin LL, Peek MK, and Markides KS. Neighborhood context and self-rated health in older Mexican Americans. Ann Epidemiol 2003;13(9):620-8 https://doi.org/10.1016/S1047-2797(03)00060-7
  50. Peltomaki P et al. Social context for workplace health promotion: feasibility considerations in Costa Rica, Finland, Germany, Spain and Sweden. Health Promotion International 2003;18(2):115-126 https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/18.2.115
  51. Picavet HSJ. Perspectives on health inequity. J Epidemiol Community Health 2002;56(1):80 https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.56.1.80
  52. Rasbash J. Browne I, Goldstein H, Yang M, Plewis I, Healy M, Woodhouse G, Draper K, Langford I, and Lewis T. A user's guide to MLwiN. London: Center for Multilevel modelling, Institute of education, University of London. 2000
  53. Reijneveld SA. Neighbourhood socioeconomic context and self reported health and smoking: a secondary analysis of data on seven cities. J Epidemiol Community Health 2002;56(12):935-42 https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.56.12.935
  54. Reijneveld SA. The impact of individual and area characteristics on urban socioeconomic differences in health and smoking. Int J Epidemiol 1998;27(1):33-40 https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/27.1.33
  55. Rice N, Carr-Hill R, Dixon P and Sutton M. The influence of households on drinking behaviour: a multilevel analysis. Soc Sci Med 1998;46(8):971-9 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0277-9536(97)10017-X
  56. Robert SA. Community-level socioeconomic status effects on adult health. J Health Soc Behav 1998;39:18-37 https://doi.org/10.2307/2676387
  57. Sampson RJ. Linking the micro-and macrolevel dimensions of community social organization. Social Forces 1991;70(1):43-64 https://doi.org/10.2307/2580061
  58. Senior M, Williams H, and Higgs G. Urban-rural mortality differentials: controlling for material deprivation. Soc Sci Med 2000;51(2):289-305 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0277-9536(99)00454-2
  59. Shadbolt B. Some correlates of self-rated health for Australian women. Am J Public Health 1997;87(6):951-6 https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.87.6.951
  60. Shouls S, Congdon P and Curtis S. Modelling inequality in reported long term illness in the UK: combining individual and area characteristics. J Epidemiol Community Health 1996;50(3):366-76 https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.50.3.366
  61. Slokols D. Establishing and Maintaining Healthy Environments: Toward a Social Ecology of Health Promotion. American Psychologist 1992;47(1):6-22 https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.47.1.6
  62. Subramanian SV, Kim DJ, and Kawachi I. Social trust and self-rated health in US communities: a multilevel analysis. J Urban Health 2002;79(4S1):S2l-34 https://doi.org/10.1093/jurban/79.1.2
  63. Subramanian SV, Kawachi I, and Kennedy BP. Does the state you live in make a difference? Multilevel analysis of self-rated health in the US. Soc Sci Med 2001;53(1):9-19 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0277-9536(00)00309-9
  64. Stafford M, Martikainen P, Lahelma E, and Marmot M. Neighbourhoods and self rated health: a comparison of public sector employees in London and Helsinki. J Epidemiol Community Health 2004;58(9):772-8 https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.2003.015941