Association of multi-morbidity, social participation, functional and mental health with the self-rated health of middle-aged and older adults in India: a study based on LASI wave-1

Self-rated health (SRH) is a well-established measure in public health to administer the general health of an individual. It can also be used to assess overall health status’ relationship with the social, physical, and mental health of a person. In this study, we examine the association of SRH and various socio-economic & health-related factors such as multi-morbidity status, mental health, functional health, and social participation. Data used in this paper is collated from the first wave of Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI) 2017-18. A total of 65,562 older adults aged 45 or above are considered in our study. Various indices (multimorbidity, social participation, functional and mental health) have been created to measure factors influencing the SRH of an individual. Overall, in the study population, around 18.4% of people reported poor SRH. Dominance Analysis results show that the contribution of multimorbidity in predicting poor SRH is highest, followed by functional health, mental health, and social participation. In a developing country like India, there is a dire need for policies having a holistic approach regarding the health and well-being of the older population.