positive self-perception of health has been correlated with higher well-being and reduced mortality in the elderly. various reasons have been proposed for this association; people who are objectively healthy may naturally rate their health better than that of their ill counterparts, though this link has been observed even in studies which have controlled for socioeconomic status, psychological functioning and health status. this finding is generally stronger for men than women, though this relationship is not universal across all studies and may only be true in some circumstances.