Unlocking the Secrets of Longevity: Exploring the Impact of Socioeconomic Factors and Health Resources on Life Expectancy in Oman and Qatar

Abstract

In an era marked by a sweeping pandemic and the encroaching shadow of an energy crisis, the well-being and lifespan of global populations have become pressing concerns for every nation. This research zeroes in on life expectancy (LE), a powerful indicator of societal health in Oman and Qatar. Our study juxtaposes 3 key factors affecting LE: health status and resources (HSR), macroeconomics (ME), and sociodemographic (SD) factors. To achieve this, we tapped into a comprehensive data set from the World Bank, encompassing a transformative 3-decade span from 1990 to 2020. The intricate interplay between these factors and LE was deciphered through robust Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Our findings construct a compelling narrative: ME has an indirect yet considerable influence on LE-manifesting with an effect of 0.602 for Oman and 0.676 for Qatar. This influence is mediated by SD and HSR components. Similarly, SD elements impact LE indirectly-with an effect of 0.653 for Oman and 0.759 for Qatar- this effect is mediated by HSR. In contrast, HSR themselves wield a robust and direct influence on LE, indicated by an effect of 0.839 for Oman and 0.904 for Qatar. All these aforementioned effects were statistically substantial (P < .001). Our research magnifies the robust direct influence of HSR on LE in both Oman and Qatar, simultaneously highlighting the noteworthy indirect role of ME and SD factors. This emphasizes the significance of adopting an integrated policy approach that considers all the SD, ME, and HSR factors to improve the population health in both countries, which are also crucial for promoting LE growth in the Gulf Cooperation Council region.

Keywords: Gulf Cooperation Council; Oman; Qatar; health campaigns; health education; health policy; health promotion; health resources; health services accessibility; health status; life expectancy; macroeconomic; sociodemographic; socioeconomic factors; structural equation model.

Figure 1.

The Theoretical Model of Macroeconomic, Sociodemographic and Health Status and Resources on Life Expectancy. LV = latent variable; MV = manifest variable; SD = socio-demographic; ME = macroeconomic; HSR = health status and resources; LE = life expectancy; LE_a average life expectancy at birth; H_1,2,3,4,5,6 → the direct effect from one LV to the other corresponding LV.

Figure 2.

The final model of the impact of macroeconomic, sociodemographic, and health status—resources on life expectancy in Oman (1990-2020). SD = sociodemographic; ME = macroeconomic; HSR = health status and resources; LE = life expectancy; LE_a = average life expectancy at birth (both males and females) in Oman; GNIpc = gross national income per capita; Employment = dependency ratio; Fuel = oil production; PPSE = pre-primary school enrollment; PSE = primary school enrollment; SSE = secondary school enrollment; DPTI = DPT immunization; MI = measles immunization; Food = food production index; numbers inside the LV circle indicate R values. *All values inside the diagram are significant at P < .05.

Figure 3.

The final model of the impact of macroeconomic, sociodemographic, and health status—resources on life expectancy in Qatar (1990-2020). SD = sociodemographic; ME = macroeconomic; HSR = health status and resources; LE = life expectancy; LE_a = average life expectancy at birth (both males and females) in Qatar; GNIpc = gross national income per capita; Employment = dependency ratio; Fuel = oil production; PPSE = pre-primary school enrollment; PSE = primary school enrollment; SSE = secondary school enrollment; DPTI = DPT immunization; MI = measles immunization; Food = crop production index; numbers inside the LV circle indicate R values. *All values inside the diagram are significant at P < .05.

Figure 4.

Radar chart for the comparison of total effects between Oman and Qatar. SD = sociodemographic; ME = macroeconomic; HSR = health status and resources; LE = life expectancy.