Assessment of the environmental determinants of public health and their impact on the regional economy
At present, the significance of the ecological component in the socio-economic development of the regions has grown significantly. Sustainable socio-economic development of the region is possible only with the improvement of the regional ecosystem and ensuring environmental security. The article proposes a methodology for assessing regional environmental factors and their impact on the health of the inhabitants of the territory, as well as assessing the impact of public health on the quality and standard of living of the population (GRP is used as a criterion for assessing the standard of living of the population in the region, and HDI is used as a criterion assessing quality of life in the region). Approbation of the methodology was carried out on the example of seven subjects of the Russian Federation (Perm region, Nizhny Novgorod region, Sverdlovsk, Samara and Chelyabinsk regions, Tatarstan and Bashkortostan Republics). All regions demonstrate a low level of functioning of the ecological component, in addition, three regions (Perm region, the Republic of Bashkortostan and the Sverdlovsk region) show negative dynamics. The regression analysis presented in the article showed a significant influence of the ecological component on the health status of the inhabitants of all the assessed regions. The proposed methodology can be applied not only for interregional, but also for intercountry analysis of environmental conditions. The development and implementation of measures to reduce the dysfunctions of the ecological component of the regional socio-economic system will mitigate the negative impact on the regional economy, improve the quality of life of the population of the regions.