Good self-rated health is related to psychosocial resources and a strong cortisol response to acute stress: The LiVicordia study of middle-aged men

Self-rated health (SRH) is a strong predictor for disease and death. The relations among SRH, psychosocial factors, and cortisol dynamics were tested using pooled data from the LiVicordia study of 50-year-old men in Lithuania (n = 94) and Sweden (n = 89), controlling for effect of residence. SRH was assessed by "How would you assess your own health?" A standardized laboratory stress test included measures of cortisol in serum and saliva. Good SRH related to high scale scores of decision latitude, social support at work, coping, self-esteem, and sense of coherence; to low scores of overcommitment (all p <.01) and vital exhaustion (r = -0.40, p < 0.001); to low concentrations of saliva baseline cortisol (r = -.26, p =.001); and to a strong cortisol response to stress (r =.27, p 001). Findings that good SRH related to favorable psychosocial characteristics and to a dynamic cortisol stress response indicate a possible explanation for observed lower risk for disease and death in this state.