The health-line - a method for collecting data on self-rated health over time: a pilot study

Abstract

Background: There is a need for an instrument to record a life-course perspective of self-rated health. Aim: To test the ``health-line'' , a simple, comprehensive method of collecting data on self-rated health over time. Method: In 1996, a questionnaire was mailed to people who in 1985 were aged between 25 and 34 years old and had a sick-leave spell >28 days with ``back diagnoses'' . They were asked to rate their global health graphically with a ``health-line'' for the years 1985- 95. Official data on sick leave and disability pension were obtained for the same period. In all, 37 out of 52 men and 60 out of 83 women answered; that is, they drew a health-line. Result: A statistically significant negative correlation between the mean number of absence days due to ill health and the health-line data was found for every year ( r = -0.35 to - 0.53; p<0.001) and for the whole period 1985- 95 ( r= -0.546; p<0.001 ) respectively. Conclusion: The method worked well and is well worth further development and testing.