Changes in perceived heart disease risk and health during a community-based heart disease prevention program: the North Karelia project.

To test whether the cardiovascular disease declines in North Karelia were accompanied by subjective improvements in health, we analyzed responses to two questions about perceived risk of heart disease and health status on independent random population samples surveyed 10 years apart. Age stratified perceived risk of heart disease declined significantly more (p less than .01) and age stratified perceived health status improved significantly more in North Karelia than in the reference area (p less than .005).