The Intersection between Contextual Factors and Individual Characteristics on Self-Reported Health: Evidence for Older People

Health, particularly self-rated health, is shaped by various factors at multiple levels. Both individual characteristics and ecological factors play a role in influencing how people perceive their health. This is especially true for the older population. Using micro and macro data from the 2018 Italian Multipurpose Survey on Households and through a multilevel model, we aim to investigate whether and to what extent macro-level factors (at the regional level) interact with micro characteristics to explain variations in material deprivation-self-rated health (SHR) nexus of older individuals in Italy. Our results indicate that contextual institutional factors (per capita GDP and tertiary education rate) significantly moderate the impact of material deprivation on SHR among aging individuals. Our findings suggest that localized and context-sensitive policy approaches are essential for addressing the complex interplay between material deprivation and health perceptions, ultimately aiming to improve the well-being of the aging population in Italy.