Examining points of reference of self-rated health among Swedish oldest old

The aim of the study is to assess the relative importance of comparisons with people of the same age and comparisons with the respondentʹs own health 1 year before the survey as two likely points of reference for ratings of health status among the elderly. Data was derived from the Swedish Panel Study of Living Conditions of the Oldest Old (n = 438) comprising those aged 77–98. On the basis of multiple regression analyses we first map the relationships between three measures of self-rated health (SRH) on the one hand and measures of ill-health and physical functioning on the other. In our main analyses it is shown that both men and women use other persons of the same age as an important point of reference when rating their own health. Our results also tend to suggest that men, in contrast to women, also refer to recent changes in their own health when giving a general health rating.