Objectives: This study explores standard cardiovascular (CVD) risk factors in a healthy population sample, with low CVD prevalence and presumed higher social connectedness as potential mechanisms linking subjective health (SH) and physical health.
Method: A population-based, telephone-sampled, cross-sectional study recruited a healthy subset of 2280 Chinese adults who subsequently underwent a free medical examination. Serum total cholesterol, low-density lipoproteins (LDL), high-density lipoproteins (HDL), triglycerides, fibrinogen, fasting glucose, 2-hour post-load glucose, blood pressure and adiposity were compared between respondents reporting good SH and those reporting poor SH over the past 3 months, on a 4-point, single-item measure.
Results: After adjustment for age, gender, education, exercise, marital and smoking status, only serum fibrinogen significantly differentiated the two groups. Respondents reporting Very poor or Poor SH had a significantly greater likelihood of raised mean fibrinogen levels compared with those reporting Good or Very good SH (Adjusted Odds Ratio 1.37, 95% CL 1.002-1.84, p < .05).
Conclusions: There is a small but robust association between SH and fibrinogen in this low CVD prevalent population unexplained by known pre-existing disease.