Objective

To analyze the health of the population aged 60 and older, and the relationship between their perception of their health and their real condition. The relationship with social-demographic issues such as gender was also assessed.

Method

Descriptive, transversal and prevalence study of 15 Day and 10 Residential Centers in the province of Almería (Spain), with 1,220 persons aged 60 and older (M = 70.9, SD = 7.9), 48.3% male and 51.7% female.

Measurements

Gender, age, civil status, and the presence of pathologies and health problems, as well as the perceived health level were all assessed.

Results

Health problems related to bones and articulations were the most reported. There are significant differences (P=0.000) in the perception of health between both genders; males have a better perception of their health. There is a negative and significant relation (P < .001) between age and the perception of health. The number of illnesses (r2 = 0.251), age (r2 = 0.010), and gender (r2 = 0.002) are all part of the explicative model of the perception of health.

Conclusions

The number of illnesses, age, and gender are variables which explain a quarter of the subjective perception of health variable, and thus, they indicate a possible use in the planning of health policies.