Self‐Rated Health as a Risk Factor for Self‐Reported Chronic Lung Disease: A Prospective, Population‐Based Cohort Study

Background Self‐rated health (SRH) is an established predictor for various acute and chronic conditions, but its association with chronic lung disease (CLD) is less clear. We investigated whether SRH scores are associated with the risk of incident self‐reported CLD in European adults. Methods Using data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe, we followed 51,893 European adults aged 40+ years at baseline across a 12‐year period of data collection (2010–2022), through a prospective, observational cohort design. Competing risks Cox regression models investigated whether SRH scores were associated with self‐reported diagnoses of CLD, adjusting for standard sociodemographic characteristics and clinical risk factors, while also accounting for death as a competing risk. Results Over a 12‐year follow‐up, 6.78% reported a new diagnosis of CLD. After adjustment for standard sociodemographic and clinical risk factors, each incremental improvement in SRH was associated with a 16% reduced risk of self‐reported CLD (subdistribution hazard ratio sHR = 0.84 and 95% confidence interval CI = 0.81, 0.87). This association was similar across males (sHR = 0.85 and 95% CI: 0.80, 0.90) and females (sHR = 0.83 and 95% CI: 0.78, 0.88). Conclusions SRH is a robust predictor of self‐reported CLD in European adults. Integrating SRH into routine risk assessments for CLD could enhance early detection of at‐risk individuals, beyond what traditional risk factors alone can explain.