Page 131 - IJPS-11-4

International Journal of
Population Studies Environmental impact on Ukraine’s quality of life

Endogeneity concerns were addressed by incorporating as well as environmental protection, were statistically
lagged variables, such as FDI with a 1-year lag, to capture significant, indicating that these environmental factors
delayed effects and reduce simultaneity bias. In addition, play a critical role in influencing mortality. The signs
differencing the data helped mitigate issues related to of these coefficients support the hypothesis that higher
non-stationarity, further enhancing the model’s reliability. pollution levels are associated with increased mortality,
These diagnostic checks and methodological adjustments while stronger environmental protection efforts are linked
ensure that the model’s results are robust and credible, to lower mortality rates. This reinforces the idea that
providing a strong foundation for analyzing the impact economic welfare and environmental quality are essential
of socioeconomic and environmental factors on mortality in improving public health and reducing mortality in the
rates. region.
These diagnostic test results underscore the rigor Notably, water pollution has more than twice the
of the analytical framework and the attention given to impact on mortality compared to air pollution. This result
addressing potential statistical and methodological issues. aligns with previous studies (Kjellstrom et al., 2006), which
The Breusch–Pagan test for heteroscedasticity yielded a demonstrate that air pollution contributes up to 0.6% of
test statistic value of 2.71, which was compared to the Chi- the disease burden in developing regions, while water
squared critical value of 0.4378 at 6° of freedom. As the test pollution may contribute as much as 0.9%.
statistic exceeds the critical value, there is weak evidence The indicator of foreign investment in the region was
suggesting potential heteroscedasticity in the model. also statistically significant and showed a positive sign. This
The results of regression analysis for the general model finding supports the hypothesis that foreign investments,
are presented in Table 3. particularly in industries that exploit the region’s rich
natural resources, often contribute to environmental
An analysis of the 2001 – 2020 indicators for the
Carpathian region reveals a strong correlation between pollution and, consequently, higher mortality rates.
improved socioeconomic conditions and reduced Meanwhile, the healthcare expenditure coefficient was
mortality rates, supporting the expectation that higher positive but not statistically significant, suggesting that
living standards contribute to better health outcomes. increased healthcare spending alone does not necessarily
Specifically, the data indicate that as socioeconomic lead to improved health outcomes.
conditions improve, mortality rates decline, emphasizing In addition, separate analyses of the same set of factors
the critical role of welfare in public health. Furthermore, the for each oblast in the Carpathian region were conducted.
coefficients for variables related to water and air pollution, The results (Table 4) are largely consistent with the overall
model, reinforcing the broader findings of this study.

Table 3. Impact of environmental and economic factors on Notable differences were observed in the coefficient for
mortality in the Carpathian region FDI in Ivano-Frankivska oblast. Unlike the other oblasts
Variable General model Std p‑value and the Carpathian region as a whole, FDI growth in this
oblast was associated with a reduction in mortality rates,
GRPt −0.005 0.00 0.001 indicating a positive impact on the population’s quality of
FDIRt−1 0.004 0.00 0.093 life. This discrepancy may be attributed to the structure
PolAirt 0.315 0.01 0.033 of foreign investments in the region and warrants further
PolWatert 0.893 0.01 0.003 investigation. While most studies suggest that FDI inflows
Env −0.078 0.01 0.045 generally enhance life expectancy through direct and
t
Healtht 0.017 0.14 0.909 indirect channels (Aalipour et al., 2023; Beşe & Kalayci,
Constant 11.153 8.5 0.002 2021), some evidence indicates that foreign investment
R-squares 0.763 can negatively affect public health and increase mortality,
particularly in middle- and high-income countries
Observations 20 (Chiappini et al., 2022, pp. 24 – 26). This suggests that,
Source: Authors’ own calculations. while FDI generally promotes economic growth and
Abbreviations: Envt: Government expenditure on environmental improved living standards, it may also introduce adverse
protection in the Carpathian region; FDIRt−1: Amount of foreign
direct investment in the region, with a 1-year lag; GRP: Gross regional effects, such as environmental degradation or inequitable
product; Health: Government expenditures on healthcare in the resource distribution.
Carpathian region; PolAirt: Emission of pollutants into the atmosphere
in the Carpathian region; PolWatert: Discharge of contaminated return The analysis of healthcare expenditures in Lvivska and
water into surface runoff in the region; Std: Standard deviation; t: Time. Chernivetska oblasts reveals an unexpected trend: higher

Volume 11 Issue 4 (2025) 125 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.4487