HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a response View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Sibthorpe, B. Articles by Cunningham, J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Sibthorpe, B. Articles by Cunningham, J.

Beverly Sibthorpe, PhD, Ian Anderson, MBBS and Joan Cunningham, ScD

Beverly Sibthorpe is with the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. Ian Anderson is with the VicHealth Koori Health Research and Community Development Unit, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Joan Cunningham is with the Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Beverly Sibthorpe, PhD, National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, ACT 0200, Australia (e-mail: beverly.sibthorpe{at}anu.edu.au).

Objectives. This study assessed the validity of a global measure of self-assessed health among Indigenous Australians.

Methods. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with self-assessed health in a nationally representative sample.

Results. Among 8782 adult respondents, poorer self-assessed health was strongly associated with several factors, including age, number of health conditions, and recent health actions. The association with health conditions was attenuated when the respondent's primary language was not English.

Conclusions. Self-assessed health may be a valid measure among indigenous Australians whose primary language is English. However, although the measure draws on common experiences of health and illness, it may obscure differences in how people incorporate these experiences into social actions.