Health perceptions in Latin America.

The influence of cultural patterns and economic conditions on health perceptions in Latin America is studied using the results of the 2007 Gallup World Poll. The differences in health satisfaction between countries around the world have a robust association with variables that may reflect cultural differences rather than with aggregate economic variables or traditional health indicators. Simple health self-rating indicators reveal huge cultural differences in health perceptions in Latin America. However, within each country, differences correlate strongly with individuals' economic and health conditions. Lower-income groups recognize more health problems, but are less tolerant of some of them than the rich.