According to recent research, people who overestimate their health visit the doctor 17.0% less often than those who accurately assess their health.
People, especially the elderly, often overestimate their health.
Those who are older and overestimate their health go to the doctor less often. This can have major health repercussions, such as when infections are identified too late. People who overestimate their level of illness, on the other hand, go to the doctor more often. Sonja Spitzer of the Institute of Demography at the University of Vienna and Mujaheed Shaikh of the Hertie School in Berlin found this in a new study based on data from more than 80,000 Europeans aged 50 and over. The results were published in the Journal of Economics of Aging.
Our behavior is affected by our confidence. Overconfident people are more likely to be leaders, make more money, and make different investment decisions. But they also behave more recklessly, have more accidents and have poorer health as a result of excessive alcohol consumption, poor eating habits and lack of sleep.
People’s choices about their own health, such as whether or not to see a doctor, can be affected by how they view the quality of their own health. According to recent research by Sonja Spitzer of the University of Vienna and Mujaheed Shaikh of the Hertie School, people who overestimate their health go to the doctor 17.0% less often than those who assess their health accurately, which which is important for preventive care such as screening tests. For dental appointments, comparable results were observed.
However, the frequency and length of hospital stay are not affected by the assessment of one’s health; this is likely because hospital stays are more tightly regulated and often require a doctor’s referral.
Those who consider themselves sicker than they are visit the doctor more often
The authors also found that people who underestimate their health visit the doctor 21% more often. On the one hand, there is the disadvantage that these additional visits can generate unnecessary costs, which is relevant given the aging of the population and the high associated health expenditure. On the other hand, people who despise their health and therefore pay a lot of attention to it can be especially fit in the long run, which could have a positive impact on society. It is generally difficult for outsiders to assess which visits are justified and which are not.
For their study, the researchers analyzed data from more than 80,000 Europeans aged 50 and over, using statistical methods. The data were collected as part of the SHARE study (Survey of Health, Aging, and Retirement in Europe) between 2006 and 2013.
First, participants were asked how they rated their health, for example, whether they had trouble getting up from a chair after sitting for a long period. Participants then had to stand up from a chair during a test, which can determine whether someone overestimates, underestimates or correctly assesses their health. The researchers also took into account judgment errors related to memory and mobility. In general, the majority of survey participants correctly assess their health (79%), 11% overestimate and 10% underestimate.
Who knows about his health?
With their new study, the researchers built on a previous study that showed that the perception of health differs greatly according to age, nationality and education. The older people are, the more often they overestimate their health.
The researchers also found large regional differences: according to the analysis, people in southern Europe tend to overestimate their health, while people in central and eastern Europe often underestimate it. Educated people are also more likely to correctly assess their health. The lure of scientists: More focus on health education and health literacy. How healthy we feel can influence how healthy we actually are in the long run.
Reference: “Misperception and health care utilization among older Europeans” by Sonja Spitzer and Mujaheed Shaikh, April 8, 2022, The Journal of the Economics of Aging.DOI: 10.1016/j.jeoa.2022.100383