The relation of chronic cardiovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus to perceived health, and the moderating effects of sex and age

This study investigates the relation of five chronic cardiovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus (DM) to perceived health, and the moderating effects of sex and age. In a community-based cross-sectional telephone survey in Hong Kong, 7730 Chinese aged 25–74 were interviewed in 1994–1996. The odds ratio for poor perceived health associated with each condition was calculated adjusting for age, sex and education. Subjects free from the six conditions were treated as the comparison group. Hypertension, angina, DM, coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke were significantly associated with poor perceived health. The odds ratio of poor perceived health was significantly greater in men than in women for having more than one condition among DM, CHD and stroke (p=0.02), and insignificantly greater for stroke, CHD and angina. The odds ratios were significantly greater in the young (25–39) versus the old (60–74) for DM (p=0.008) in men and women combined, and for having either DM, CHD or stroke in men (p=0.02). These findings suggest that the relation of DM, CHD and stroke with poor perceived health tends to be stronger in men and younger adults. These findings have implications for health care workers and home carers who need to appreciate that the same condition may have a different perceived impact on persons of different sex and age, and be sensitive to their varying needs.