Is geographical location a key factor in self-reported health? Is geographical location a key factor in self-reported health? Content Editor: Shayari Nag May 17, 2024 PLoS ONE Self-reported health, Geographic disparities in health, Social Determinants of Health Individuals were directly asked to assess their health (SRH) in the study, which found a national average of 3.25% reporting ill health, or an estimated 44.4 million people in India experiencing health issues at any given time. The study found a few factors that influenced health, which include the following: Age : A U-shaped curve emerged with young and older populations reporting higher illness rates. Income : Higher income only correlated with better health in 40% of cases, suggesting it's a limited factor. Its impact likely stems from influencing nutrition, housing quality, and access to healthcare. Geographic location : Emerged as the most significant factor , highlighting significant geographical variations in ill-health rates, and pinpointing regions needing further investigation This finding challenges the traditional assumption that higher income always leads to better health in India. It highlights the importance of location-specific factors and suggests a need for further epidemiological studies in these "hotspots" of ill health. A large-scale study in India reveals that while age and income play a role, geographic location is surprisingly the biggest factor affecting self-reported health (SRH) . A few regions stood out as having greater ill-health compared to others, which include: Uttarakhand West Haryana East Uttar Pradesh Bengal Assam Telangana Andhra Pradesh Kerala Click here to read more.