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Somatic Symptoms: Prevalence, Co-Occurrence and Associations with Self-Perceived Health and Limitations Due To Physical Health – A Danish Population-Based Study
- Source :
- PLoS ONE, Vol 11, Iss 3, p e0150664 (2016), PLoS ONE, Eliasen, M, Kreiner, S, Ebstrup, J F, Poulsen, C H, Lau, C J, Skovbjerg, S, Fink, P K & Jørgensen, T 2016, ' Somatic Symptoms : Prevalence, Co-Occurrence and Associations with Self-Perceived Health and Limitations Due To Physical Health-A Danish Population-Based Study ', P L o S One, vol. 11, no. 3, e0150664 . https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0150664
- Publication Year :
- 2016
- Publisher :
- Public Library of Science (PLoS), 2016.
-
Abstract
- A high number of somatic symptoms have been associated with poor health status and increased health care use. Previous studies focused on number of symptoms without considering the specific symptoms. The aim of the study was to investigate 1) the prevalence of 19 somatic symptoms, 2) the associations between the symptoms, and 3) the associations between the somatic symptoms, self-perceived health and limitations due to physical health accounting for the co-occurrence of symptoms. Information on 19 somatic symptoms, self-perceived health and limitations due to physical health was achieved from a population-based questionnaire survey of 36,163 randomly selected adults in the Capital Region of Denmark in 2006/07. Chain graph models were used to transparently identify and describe the associations between symptoms, self-perceived health and limitations due to physical health. In total, 94.9% of the respondents were bothered by one or more of the 19 somatic symptoms. The symptoms were associated in a complex structure. Still, recognisable patterns were identified within organ systems/body parts. When accounting for symptom co-occurrence; dizziness, pain in legs, respiratory distress and tiredness were all strongly directly associated with both of the outcomes (γ>0.30). Chest pain was strongly associated with self-perceived health, and other musculoskeletal symptoms and urinary retention were strongly associated with limitations due to physical health. Other symptoms were either moderate or not statistically associated with the health status outcomes. Opposite, almost all the symptoms were strongly associated with the two outcomes when not accounting for symptom co-occurrence. In conclusion, we found that somatic symptoms were frequent and associated in a complex structure. The associations between symptoms and health status measures differed between the symptoms and depended on the co-occurrence of symptoms. This indicates an importance of considering both the specific symptoms and symptom co-occurrence in further symptom research instead of merely counting symptoms.
- Subjects :
- Male
myalgia
Abdominal pain
Activities of daily living
Cross-sectional study
Denmark
Health Status
lcsh:Medicine
Otology
Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Chest pain
Infographics
Database and Informatics Methods
0302 clinical medicine
Surveys and Questionnaires
Activities of Daily Living
Health care
Prevalence
Medicine and Health Sciences
030212 general & internal medicine
lcsh:Science
Visual Impairments
education.field_of_study
Multidisciplinary
Headaches
Age Factors
Middle Aged
Vertigo
Female
medicine.symptom
Graphs
Research Article
Adult
Computer and Information Sciences
medicine.medical_specialty
Population
Pain
Health Informatics
Dermatology
Rashes
Research and Analysis Methods
03 medical and health sciences
Sex Factors
Signs and Symptoms
medicine
Humans
Pain Management
Psychiatry
education
Aged
business.industry
Data Visualization
lcsh:R
Myalgia
Abdominal Pain
Ophthalmology
Cross-Sectional Studies
Otorhinolaryngology
lcsh:Q
business
030217 neurology & neurosurgery
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 19326203
- Volume :
- 11
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- PLOS ONE
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....33b80c6d7b61d06f3e4d2e10d6c0df7e