PRINCIPAL COMPONENT ANALYSIS OF 4 HEALTH INDICATORS AND CONSTRUCTION OF A GLOBAL HEALTH INDEX IN THE AGED

The health status of 1025 urban senior citizens in a Montreal metropolitan area was determined by a questionnaire based on the subjects' view of physical, mental, and general well-being, and of dependence (indicators of Belloc et al., Berkman, Grogono and Woodgate, and Linn). A principal component analysis was made of these health indicators and two factors were retained. The first factor, which can be called a global health index, was used to compare the sexes and the age strata; it was thus found that men (those who survive) are generally healthier than the women, and that subjects from the lower-age strata are healthier than their older counterparts. The second factor is described as opposing physical health and dependence to mental health, the results of which were similar for both sexes, but differed according to the various age strata compared. © 1979 by The Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health.