The Nexus between Health-Oriented Lifestyle, Social Inequality, Access to Health Services, and Dimensions of Social Health among Sari Citizens

Abstract

Social health is one of the main pillars of human health that critically contributes to maintaining balance in the social life of any individual so that its full reflection can ensure social growth in any community. This study explored the nexus between health-oriented lifestyle, social inequality, access to health services, and dimensions of social health among Sari citizens (Mazandaran province, Iran). The extant study was conducted using a survey method and questionnaire. A survey study targeted 125400 citizens between the age of 15 and 60 years living in Sari, of which 380 were eventually selected as the sample size considering Cochran's formula and through the cluster sampling method. Research findings indicated a positive and direct association between access to health services and dimensions of social health. There was also a positive and direct connection between the health-oriented lifestyle and dimensions of social health.

On the other hand, there was a negative and significant nexus between social inequality and social health. Therefore, the higher the social inequality, the lower the social health rate. The diminished rate of social inequalities improves the health level of citizens. A total of 46.3% of variations in social health were explained, according to the multivariate regression results. Access to health services and social inequality had the greatest impact on social life, while the health-oriented lifestyle exhibited the least impact on social health as the dependent variable.