Predictors of Good Health Status of Rural Men in Jamaica

Aim: A comprehensive reivew of literature revealed that there was a gap in health researh literature in Jamaica on determinants of good health of rural men. This study seeks to fill this void by examining cross-sectional survey data to model predictors of self-reported good health status of rural men in Jamaica.Method: A sample of 5,041 respondents was extracted from a national cross sectional survey of 25,018 respondents. Stratified random probability sampling technique was used to draw the sample. Data were stored, retrieved and analyzed using SPSS for Windows 16.0. Descriptive statistics were used to provide pertinent socio-demographic characteristics of the sample and logistic regression was used to establish a predictive model of good self-reported health status or rural Jamaicans.Results: Seventeen percent of rural men claimed that they had poor health, 4.9% had health insurance, 61.6% visited a health care practitioner, 96.0% purchased prescribed medications and 45.3% completed taking the prescribed medications. The predictors of good health status of rural men in Jamaica are cost of medical care (OR = 0.916, 95% CI = 0.841 - 0.997), retirement income (OR = 0.382, 95% CI = 0.206 - 0.707), marital status - separated, divorced or widowed with reference to those never married (OR = 0.270, 95% CI = 0.178-0.410) and married with reference to never married men (OR = 0.465, 95% CI = 0.356 - 0.609) - health insurance coverage (OR = 0.041, 95% CI = 0.027 - 0.063), number of children in household (OR = 1.200, 95% CI = 1.069 - 1.347), and the number of durable goods owned by the man (OR = 1.107, 95% CI = 1.050 - 1.166).Conclusion: Children continue to be not only futuristic assets to parents, but that they currently improve the health status of rural men.