Relationship between Perceived Health Status and Health Practices in the General Adult Population in Japan

The objective of this study was to explore the relationship of perceived health status and Breslow’s seven health Practices(7 - 8 hours of sleep per night, maintaining a healthy weight, moderate or no alcohol intake, regular physical activity, no eating between meals, eating breakfast, and having never smoked cigarettes) in adult residents in Kumamoto Prefecture Japan. We used 2011 data from the “Health Japan 21” program in Kumamoto Prefecture, a study consisting of 2519 adults aged from 20 - 74 years. Data for the study were gathered by questionnaire. The questionnaire was divided into following sections: perceived health status, seven health practices, life satisfaction, depression, social network, and demographic variables. We found that those groups engaged in more than four health practices had higher scores for perceived health status than those groups with less than four. Using Pearson’s correlation coefficient, positive correlations were found between perceived health status and health practices (r = 0.229, p < 0.001), life satisfaction (r = 0.279, p < 0.001), and social network (r = 0.089, p < 0.001); negative correlations were found with age (r = – 0.058, p < 0.01), body mass index (BMI) (r = – 0.093, p< 0.001), and depression (r = – 0.109, p < 0.001). Furthermore, we clarified the differences in perceived health status by age and gender. The data from multiple regression analysis show an association between level of perceived health status and life satisfaction, the seven health practices, employment, age, depression, and social network. Our findings demonstrate a relationship between perceived health status and the seven health practices, and can be used to encourage healthier practices to enhance perceived health status and life satisfaction in community health care work.