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Trust, self-rated health and mortality: A longitudinal study among ageing people in Southern Finland

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  • Nummela, Olli
  • Raivio, Risto
  • Uutela, Antti

Abstract

Poor self-rated health (SRH) predicts mortality significantly. High trust has been shown to associate with better SRH in cross-sectional studies and survival in longitudinal studies. However, little is known about the associations between trust, SRH and mortality among ageing people. The present study examined whether low trust at the baseline predicted higher all-cause mortality in a follow-up of over five years among ageing people, and whether the trust to mortality relationship varied by SRH. The study used longitudinal, questionnaire-based survey data gathered in 2002 (n = 2815; 66%) among three age cohorts (born in 1926–30, 1936–40 and 1946–50) living in the Lahti region, Southern Finland. Two survey follow-ups were done, the first in 2005 (n = 2476, 60%) and the second in 2008 (n = 2064, 73%). Deaths during the follow-up were obtained from the covering National Population Registry. Those who died within the first one year of follow-up were excluded from the analyses to reduce potential bias due to early deaths. Cox proportional hazard models were used to derive the results. Mortality proved to be higher among men with low trust, even if their SRH had been good at the baseline. Among women, no significant associations were found. The risk attenuated after adjustment for background health-related covariates, but the gradient remained statistically significant in all models. Initial SRH did not substantially explain the gradient of trust in mortality among men. Moreover, a Sobel test of indirect effects showed that SRH had no significant mediating role in links between trust and mortality. Thus, low trust is a sensitive indicator of higher mortality risk among ageing men.

Suggested Citation

  • Nummela, Olli & Raivio, Risto & Uutela, Antti, 2012. "Trust, self-rated health and mortality: A longitudinal study among ageing people in Southern Finland," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(10), pages 1639-1643.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:74:y:2012:i:10:p:1639-1643
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.02.010
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Elgar, F.J., 2010. "Income inequality, trust, and population health in 33 countries," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 100(11), pages 2311-2315.
    2. Stafford, M. & Cummins, S. & Macintyre, S. & Ellaway, A. & Marmot, M., 2005. "Gender differences in the associations between health and neighbourhood environment," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 60(8), pages 1681-1692, April.
    3. Giordano, Giuseppe N. & Lindstrom, Martin, 2010. "The impact of changes in different aspects of social capital and material conditions on self-rated health over time: A longitudinal cohort study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 70(5), pages 700-710, March.
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    1. Lee, Jaeyoung, 2020. "Mediating effect of sleep satisfaction on the relationship between stress and self-rated health among Korean adolescents: A nationwide cross-sectional study," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    2. Ying Liang, 2015. "Correlations Between Health-Related Quality of Life and Interpersonal Trust: Comparisons Between Two Generations of Chinese Rural-to-Urban Migrants," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 123(3), pages 677-700, September.
    3. Sato, Yukihiro & Aida, Jun & Tsuboya, Toru & Shirai, Kokoro & Koyama, Shihoko & Matsuyama, Yusuke & Kondo, Katsunori & Osaka, Ken, 2018. "Generalized and particularized trust for health between urban and rural residents in Japan: A cohort study from the JAGES project," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 202(C), pages 43-53.

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