Health Perceptions and Quality of Life among Low-Income Adults.

Marginalized populations may be predisposed to poor health outcomes due to health dis parities. Although much of the research on health and quality of life is from the perspective of the impact of clinical diagnosis, there is a need for more diverse inquiries and recognition of the individuals' perceptions and preferences. The present study examined the importance of an individual's perception of his or her current health in predicting quality of life over and beyond the presence of physical or mental health conditions. The sample included 150 low-income adults, of which 84.7 percent were African American and 15.4 percent were of another minority race or ethnicity. Participants had an average monthly income of $703. Having a better perception of health was significantly associated with increased quality of life scores. Subjective perceptions of current health were a better predictor of quality of life than the presence of a serious physical or mental health condition. The article ends with a discussion of appropriate interventions to improve health perceptions in similar populations predisposed to poor health outcomes.