Correlates of self-rated health in persons aged 85 and over: results from the Canadian Study of Health and Aging.

This report describes self-rated health in 1,239 non-institutionalized Canadians aged 85 years and over who participated in the Canadian Study of Health and Aging. Most (76.8%) rated their health positively (i.e., very or pretty good). Stepwise multiple regression was used to determine the variables that were significantly correlated with self-rated health. A modestly successful model for predicting self-rated health (R2 = 0.27) was developed. Better understanding of the determinants of healthy aging hopefully will lead to effective interventions to improve the quality of life of the very old.