Elderly persons' interpretation of a bodily change as an illness symptom.

Based on a community random sample of 406 elderly, factors that persuade an elderly person to interpret a bodily change as a symptom of illness are described. Three measures of such illness interpretation among 27 different bodily changes are used in analysis: giving an illness label to the change, consulting a physician for it, and/or using self-care for treatment. The three types of representations across all 27 bodily changes taken together, as well as among five typical complaints most commonly experienced, are reported. The findings show that the perceived seriousness of the bodily change and the general health context of the older person in which it has occurred are conducive to interpreting a bodily change as an illness symptom.