Self-rated health does not predict 10-year weight change among middle-aged adults in a longitudinal population study

Abstract

Background: There is a worldwide obesity epidemic, but lack of a simple method, applicable for research or clinical use, to identify individuals at high risk of weight gain. Therefore, the relationship of self-rated health and 10-year percent weight change was evaluated to determine if self-rated health would predict weight change.

Methods: From 1990 to 2008, adults aged 30, 40, 50 and 60 years were invited to health surveys that included self-rated health and measured weight and height. ANOVA was used to evaluate the relationship of 10-year percent weight change and self-rated health.

Results: The study population consisted of 29,207 participants (46.5% men). There was no relationship between baseline self-rated health and 10-year percent weight change for middle-aged men or women.

Conclusions: Self-rated health is not able to predict weight change over a 10-year period in this age group.

Figure 1

Ten-year percent weight change and baseline self-rated health (1990-1998) among 13,583 men in the Västerbotten Intervention Programme surveys. The solid horizontal line is set at 0% weight change. The dashed lines denote -5% and +5% weight change.

Figure 2

Ten-year percent weight change and baseline self-rated health (1990-1998) among 15,624 women in the Västerbotten Intervention Programme surveys. The solid horizontal line is set at 0% weight change. The dashed lines denote -5% and +5% weight change.