[The association between self-rated health and health care utilization in retired].

OBJECTIVE This article attests the association between self-rated health and health care utilization in a retired population by a narrative review. METHOD A systematic review was carried out from 1967 to 2007 to identify studies on self-rated health, in the databases MEDLINE, LILACS e SCIELO. The OVID software was used to Medline research. Contacts with experts were used. The key words retirement, self-rated health, health care utilization and narrative review were used in Portuguese, Spanish and English versions. Al the abstracts were analyzed, but only trials that associated self-rated health in retirement and health care utilization were fully analyzed. RESULTS Thirty one out of 443 abstracts were selected to be fully analyzed. Current data indicates that health deterioration, poor self-rated health and increased health care utilization are associated with early retirement, due to disability, but not with individuals who worked until retirement by age. CONCLUSION Retirement is probably associated with increased public expenses and increased health care utilization in retired with a poor self-rated health.