The multidimensionality of health: associations between allostatic load and self-report health measures in a community epidemiologic study

Figures & data

Figure 1. Conceptual representation of concordance between objective and subjective measures of health.

Table 1. Cross-tabulations of allostatic load and self-report measures of health.

		Biochemical dysregulation according to allostatic load
		No	Yes
Excellent self-perceived health	True	283	134	417
	False	429	361	790
		712	495	1,207
	Design-based F (1, 249) = 17.688, p < .000
Doctor-diagnosed health problems	None	676	441	1117
	One or more	36	54	90
		712	495	1,207
	Design-based F (1, 249) = 6.668, p < .010
Bed days	None	636	429	1065
	One or more	76	66	142
		712	495	1,207
	Design-based F (1, 249) = 1.114, p < .292
Activity limitations	None	601	351	952
	At least some	111	144	255
		712	495	1,207
	Design-based F (1, 249) = 22.955, p < .000
Any of the above measures	No	249	110	359
	Yes	463	385	848
		712	495	1,207
	Design-based F (1, 249) = 16.366, p < .000

Table 2. Predicting allostatic load using self-report measures: age-adjusted odds ratios (n = 1207).

	Biochemical dysregulation according to allostatic load
	Full sample	Black respondents	White respondents^a	Males	Females	No college degree	College degree	No past year depression	Past year depression
Self-perceived health	1.742***	1.464	1.912**	1.434	2.085**	1.474	2.222**	1.659**	2.798
Doctor-diagnosed diseases	2.309*	1.143	3.057*	1.649	3.217**	2.078*	2.533	2.363*	1.828
Bed days	1.103	2.186	.942	.912	1.338	1.063	1.081	1.243	0.414
Activity limitations	1.778**	1.254	1.988*	1.263	2.487**	1.408	1.896	1.776*	1.554
Any of the above measures	1.700**	1.654*	1.694*	1.321	2.213**	1.468	2.090**	1.559*	12.654**
Sample sizes	1207	601	606	566	641	770	437	1084	123

Notes: ORs estimated from design-based variance–covariance matrices that adjust for stratification, clustering, and the sampling weight. Presented are age-adjusted ORs for the full sample and then ORs by race, sex, education, and past year depression.

^aThe full sample size for this column was 1061 because 2 strata contained no subpopulation members (i.e. white respondents) and those strata were excluded.

*p < .05.

**p < .01.

***p < .001 (two-tailed tests).

Table 3. P-values from two-tailed tests of the differences in the age-adjusted odds ratios predicting allostatic load with self-report measures (n = 1207).

	Black vs. white respondents	Males vs. females	No college degree vs. college degree	No past year depression vs. past year depression
Self-perceived health	.441	.266	.249	.451
Doctor-diagnosed diseases	.126	.341	.739	.765
Bed days	.180	.353	.916	.114
Activity limitations	.198	.050	.421	.697
Any of the above measures	.942	.164	.316	.036