Page 132 - IJPS-11-4

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

Table 4. Impact of environmental and economic factors on healthcare spending correlates with increased mortality.
mortality by oblast in the Carpathian region However, this relationship was statistically significant
only in Lvivska oblast, where the coefficient reached a
Oblast Variable Coefficients Std p‑value significance of 10%. This counterintuitive finding may
Zakarpatska GRPt −0.014 0.00 0.071 reflect inefficiencies in public fund allocation or systemic
FDIRt−1 0.015 0.01 0.051 flaws in healthcare policies. Ineffective spending, lack
PolAirt 0.043 0.02 0.073 of targeted interventions, and resource mismanagement
PolWatert 1.192 0.05 0.050 could mean that increased investments in healthcare fail
Envt −0.010 0.02 0.051 to yield meaningful improvements in health outcomes, as
Healtht −0.922 0.55 0.115 seen in Lvivska oblast.
Constant 19.397 5.75 0.005 The multiple regression model confirms several key
R-squares 0.704 hypotheses regarding the impact of environmental and
Observations 20 economic factors on mortality rates in the Carpathian
Ivano-Frankivska GRPt −0.240 0.00 0.050 region. As expected, economic development and improved
regional welfare were associated with lower mortality
FDIRt−1 −0.067 0.00 0.011
rates. Higher living standards typically lead to better
PolAirt 0.204 0.01 0.096 access to healthcare, improved nutrition, and healthier
PolWatert 2.056 0.02 0.002 living conditions, all of which contribute to increased life
Envt −0.090 0.00 0.050 expectancy. Similarly, the analysis highlights the beneficial
Healtht −0.851 0.63 0.203 effects of increased environmental protection expenditures,
Constant 25.038 9.01 0.016 indicating that investments in pollution reduction and
natural resource conservation have a tangible positive
R-squares 0.697
Observations 20 impact on public health.
Lvivska GRPt 8.223 0.00 0.751 The findings underscore the harmful effects of
FDIRt−1 0.002 0.00 0.006 environmental degradation, particularly water and air
pollution, on mortality in the Carpathian region. While
PolAirt 0.022 0.01 0.010 both types of pollution negatively impact public health,
PolWatert 0.518 0.02 0.008 the data indicate that water pollution has a significantly
Envt 3.456 0.00 0.342 stronger influence on mortality than air pollution. This
Healtht 0.218 0.29 0.136 may be due to the region’s dependence on water sources for
Constant 9.102 7.39 0.240 agriculture, drinking, and other essential needs, making
R-squares 0.712 water quality a critical determinant of health outcomes.
Contaminated water can lead to various illnesses, including
Observations 20
Chernivetska GRPt −0.673 0.00 0.096 gastrointestinal diseases, which disproportionately affect
vulnerable populations, such as children and the elderly.
FDIRt−1 −0.240 0.01 0.846
The empirical data also supports the hypothesis that the
PolAirt 0.427 0.34 0.023 Carpathian region has become a “haven for polluters” in the
PolWatert 0.629 0.06 0.003 context of FDI. In both Zakarpatska and Lvivska oblasts,
Envt −0.611 0.02 0.072 a direct correlation between FDI growth and increasing
Healtht 0.812 0.49 0.261 mortality rates was observed. This finding suggests that
Constant 3.628 5.28 0.504 foreign investment may be linked to activities that harm
R-squares 0.740 the environment, such as industrial projects that prioritize
Observations 20 profit over sustainable practices. As the Carpathian
Source: Authors’ own calculations. region borders many European Union members, foreign
Abbreviations: Envt: Government expenditure on environmental investment may often be directed to Ukraine to avoid
protection in the Carpathian region; FDIRt−1: Amount of foreign stricter European environmental legislation (Levinson
direct investment in the region, with a 1-year lag; GRP: Gross regional & Taylor, 2008; Tang, 2015; Duan et al., 2021). It can be
product; Health: Government expenditures on healthcare in the assumed that foreign investments in the Carpathian region
Carpathian region; PolAirt: Emission of pollutants into the atmosphere
in the Carpathian region; PolWatert: Discharge of contaminated return are directed mainly to polluting enterprises, harming
water into surface runoff in the region; Std: Standard deviation; t: Time. public health. Thus, Ukraine, with lenient environmental

Volume 11 Issue 4 (2025) 126 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.4487