Factors associated with self-rated health in a Norwegian population of older people participating in a preventive home visit program: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Assessing self-rated health by preventive home visits of older people can provide information about the person’s well-being, quality of life and risk of developing illness. The aim of this study was to examine associations between self-rated health and factors related to demographics, lifestyle, health conditions and medical diagnoses by older people participating in a preventive home visit program. METHODS: A cross-sectional study including 233 participants (age 75–79) from three municipalities of Western Norway was conducted. Data were collected through preventive home visits performed by six nurses, using a questionnaire including self-rated health assessment and questions and tests related to demographics (e.g. education and housing), lifestyle (e.g. social activities, alcohol and smoking), health conditions (e.g. sensory impairment, pain and limited by disease) and medical diagnoses. Descriptive and inferential statistics including linear block-wise regression model were applied. RESULTS: The block-wise regression model showed that the variables Limited by disease and Pain were negatively associated with self-rated health and Use internet was positively associated. The model had a R(2) 0.432. The variable that contributed to largest change in the model was Limited by disease (R(2) Change; 0.297, p-value< 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In the present study, being limited by disease and pain were strongly associated with poor self-rated health, indicating that these are important factors to assess during a preventive home visit. Also, digital competence (Use internet) was associated with a better self-rated health, suggesting that it could be useful to ask, inform and motivate for the use of digital tools that may compensate for or improve social support, social contact and access to health -related information.