Whiners and deniers - What does self-rated health measure?

► Despite the popularity of self-rated health, it is unclear what exactly the construct captures. ► We operationalize self-rated health as consisting of two components: latent health and reporting behaviour. ► We define reporting behaviour as systematic deviation from latent health, measured by the Health Utilities Index. ► In Canada, those aged 80+ years and those with less income and education exhibit optimism about their health. ► Persons with healthier lifestyles tend to be slightly pessimistic about their health.