Self-rated general health status

is based on a respondent's own perception of their health status and functioning. This measure is an alternative to the more traditional objective measures of health (eg hospitalisation rates and disease prevalence). Self-reported health measures introduce subjectivity into health status measurement, which is useful for providing a more person-centred view of health, and for placing more emphasis on quality of life and well-being.

Respondents summarised their perception of their overall health by indicating whether, in general, their health was excellent, very good, good, fair, or poor.