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Objectives: The overall aim was to investigate determinants and consequences of global non-comparative self-ratings of health (SRH). Concerning determinants, the aim was more specifically to investigate the association between age, year of investigation, stress-theory based psychobiological variables, and SRH.

Materials and methods: Papers I and IV were based on eight ongoing population-based cohort studies, with sampling performed 1973-2003. The study-population consisted of 11,880 men and women, aged 25-99 years, providing 14,470 observations. Papers II and III were based on a longitudinal study of 212 adult, healthy, women and men.

Results: In women, SRH declined linearly with age and year of investigation, after adjustment for influence of covariates, while in men the association was based on a third degree polynomial function. The most important covariates were complaint score, sick-leave or disability pension, and leisure time physical activity. The final model explained 76.2% of the variance in women and 74.5% in men. SRH was directly associated with psychological resources and inversely associated with psychological strain, in healthy, adult, women and men. In men with SRH which decreased to fair or poor, higher levels of prolactin and lower levels of testosterone were observed at follow-up as compared to baseline. There were no associations between endocrine variables and SRH in women. There was a significant inverse association between SRH and mortality, disability pension, and sick-leave during follow-up, in women and men, adjusted for covariates. Associations between SRH and mortality were robust during the follow-up period.

Conclusions: Age and year of investigation were associated with SRH, but differently in women and men. Psychological resources and psychological strain were consistently associated with SRH, but there were no robust associations between endocrine measures and SRH. SRH was associated with mortality, disability pension, and sick-leave, during follow-up. The association between SRH and mortality was robust during the follow-up period