Self-rated health in Moldova: a study based on the Generations and Gender Life-Course Survey
PDF (engelsk)

Emneord (Nøkkelord)

Subjective health
population health
healthy life expectancy
self-rated health

Hvordan referere

«Self-rated health in Moldova: a study based on the Generations and Gender Life-Course Survey» (2026) One Health & Risk Management, 7(4), s. 30–40. doi:10.38045/ohrm.2026.4.03.

Sammendrag

Introduction Subjective health serves as an indicator of quality of life and is a reliable predictor of mortality trends, particularly in older age groups. Its determinants are influenced by physical and mental well-being and are positively linked to overall health. Subjective health is mainly measured using a representative sample, in which respondents rate their health, usually on a scale from very good to very bad.

Materials and methods This research primarily relies on life-course data from the Generations and Gender Survey, conducted in two waves in 2020 and 2024–2025. Thus, a panel analysis was conducted to assess changes in subjective health across the 5-year cohorts during the period analysed.

Results Subjective health has declined more than improved across all studied generations, with a notably greater reduction among the middle-aged group born between 1965 and 1980, in both males and females. The decline in subjective health among these groups aligns with a rising prevalence of chronic diseases as the interviewees age.

Conclusions The research addresses a gap in the study of subjective health in Moldova by applying panel data analysis, whereas previous research has predominantly used a cross-sectional approach. The article's findings highlight the need for targeted policies to prevent morbidity and reduce mortality, particularly among vulnerable cohorts.

https://doi.org/10.38045/ohrm.2026.4.03
PDF (engelsk)

Referanser

1. Ngamaba K, Panagioti M, Armitage C. How strongly related are health status and subjective well-being? Systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur J Public Health. 2017;27(5):879–885. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckx081

2. Undén A-L, Elofsson S. Do different factors explain self-rated health in men and women? Gend Med. 2006;3(4):295–308. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1550-8579(06)80218-4

3. Idler E, Cartwright K. What Do We Rate When We Rate Our Health? Decomposing Age-related Contributions to Self-rated Health. Journal of Health and Social Behavior. 2018;59(1):74–93. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022146517750137

4. Reche E, König H, Hajek A. Income, Self-Rated Health, and Morbidity. A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Studies. Int J Environ Res and Public Health. 2019;16(16). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16162884

5. Eckersley R. Beyond inequality: Acknowledging the complexity of social determinants of health. Soc Sci Med. 2015;147:121–125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2015.10.052

6. Gil-Lacruz M, Gil-Lacruz A, Navarro-López J, Aguilar-Palacio I. Gender Gap in Self-Rated Health: A Cohort Perspective in Eastern European Countries. Healthcare. 2022;10(2). https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10020365

7. Caramenti M, Castiglioni I. Determinants of Self-Perceived Health: The Importance of Physical Well-Being but Also of Mental Health and Cognitive Functioning. Behav Sci. 2022;12(12). https://doi.org/10.3390/bs12120498

8. Penina O. Regional changes in life expectancy and causes of death in Moldova after independence. Economy and Sociology. 2022;(1):72–86. https://doi.org/10.36004/nier.es.2022.1-07

9. Gagauz O, Avram C, Pahomii I. Self-perceived health of the elderly: economic and sociodemographic inequalities. Economy and Sociology. 2017;(1-2):45–53. https://rses.ince.md/server/api/core/bitstreams/eeec3dd7-0a9c-4563-a02c-01521b3dedfd/content

10. van Baar J, Ciofu C, Thompson F, Luik A, Mereanu O, Kramer J, et al. Socioeconomic correlates of mental health in Moldova: A nationally representative door-to-door survey. Journal of Affective Disorders Reports. 2025;20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadr.2025.100876

11. Gagauz O, Avram C. Policy Paper: Healthy life expectancy - an integrated indicator of population health. 2015. https://moldova.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/Policy%20Paper_Healthy%20life%20expectancy_2015.pdf

12. Cela E, Barbiano di Belgiojoso E. Ageing in a foreign country: Determinants of self-rated health among older migrants in Italy. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies. 2021;47(15):3677–3699. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2019.1627863

13. Böhme M, Persian P, Stöhr T. Alone but better off? Adult child migration and health of elderly parents in Moldova. J Health Econ. 2015;39:211–227. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhealeco.2014.09.001

14. Cebotari V, Siegel M, Mazzucato V. Migration and child health in Moldova and Georgia. Comp Migr Stud. 2018;6. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40878-017-0068-9

15. Gagauz O, Avram C. Speranța de viață sănătoasă – indicatorul integral de evaluare a sănătății populației. Revista de Filosofie, Sociologie şi Ştiinţe Politice, 2015;2(168):109–116. https://ibn.idsi.md/sites/default/files/imag_file/109_116_Speranta%20de%20viata%20sanatoasa%20–%20indicatorul%20integral%20de%20evaluare%20a%20sanatatii%20populatiei.pdf

16. Avram C, Gagauz O. Measuring population health in Moldova: health expectancies. AUC Geographica. 2018;53(1):3–9. https://doi.org/10.14712/23361980.2018.1

17. Generations & Gender Programme. Accessed October 23 2025. https://www.ggp-i.org

18. Statistical databank of the National Bureau of Statistics. Accessed November 2nd 2025. https://statbank.statistica.md/PxWeb/pxweb/en/

19. Sullivan D. A Single Index of Mortality and Morbidity. HSMHA Health Reports. 1971;86:347–354. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1937122/pdf/hsmhahr00004-0061.pdf

20. Foltyn R, Olsson J. Health dynamics and heterogeneous life expectancies. Business School-Economics, University of Glasgow. 2021. https://www.gla.ac.uk/media/Media_811161_smxx.pdf

21. May AM, Struijk EA, Fransen HP, Onland-Moret NC, de Wit GA, Boer JM, et al. The impact of a healthy lifestyle on Disability-Adjusted Life Years: a prospective cohort study. BMC medicine. 2015;13(1), 39. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-015-0287-6

22. Reinwarth AC, Wicke FS, Hettich N, Ernst M, Otten D, Brähler E, et al. Self-rated physical health predicts mortality in aging persons beyond objective health risks. Sci Rep. 2023;13, 19531. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-46882-7

23. McKee M, Shkolnikov V. Understanding the toll of premature death among men in Eastern Europe. BMJ. 2001;323(7320):1051–1055. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.323.7320.1051

24. Stuckler D, King L, McKee M. Mass privatisation and the post-communist mortality crisis: a cross-national analysis. Lancet. 2009;373:0–407. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(09)60005-2

25. Ben-Shlomo Y. A life course approach to chronic disease epidemiology: conceptual models, empirical challenges and interdisciplinary perspectives. Int J Epidemiol. 2002;.31(2):285–293. https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/31.2.285

26. Slav M. Temporal and Group-Specific Instability of Self-Rated Health in 2020. Economy and Sociology. 2026;2: 98–107. https://doi.org/10.36004/nier.es.2026.1-07

Creative Commons License

Dette verket er lisensiert under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Opphavsrett 2026 Vitalie STIRBA