Gerit PfuhlFilipe PrazeresMarta KowalToivo AavikBeatriz Abad-VillaverdeReza AfhamiLeonardo A. AguilarGrace A. AkelloLaith Al-ShawafJan AntfolkAavik, ToivoKowal, MartaAfhami, RezaPrazeres, FilipeAbad-Villaverde, BeatrizPfuhl, GeritSorokowski, Piotr2025-10-06202514765616, 003335060033-35061476-561610.1016/j.puhe.2025.02.0302-s2.0-105001208443https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-105001208443&doi=10.1016%2Fj.puhe.2025.02.030&partnerID=40&md5=cae8c92b7e03805c07bdce46cbe8eb44https://gcris.yasar.edu.tr/handle/123456789/8018https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2025.02.030Objectives: Infectious diseases are often associated with decline in quality of life. The aim of this study is to analyze the relationship between personal history of communicable i.e. infectious and parasitic diseases and self-rated health. Study design: Secondary analysis of a large dataset multi-country observational study. Methods: We used a four-pronged analysis approach to investigate whether personal history of infectious and parasitic diseases is related to self-reported health measured with a single item. Results: Three of the four analyses found a small positive effect on self-reported health among those reporting a history of pathogen exposure. The meta-analysis found no support but large heterogeneity that was not reduced by two classifications of countries. Conclusion: Personal history of infectious and parasitic diseases does not reduce self-reported health across a global sample. © 2025 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Englishinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessCommunicable Diseases, Global Health, Mental Health, Multiverse Analysis, Mental Health, Meta-analysis, Parasitic Disease, Pathogen, Public Health, Quality Of Life, Article, Dispersity, Economic Aspect, Global Health, Health, History, Infection, Likert Scale, Parasitosis, Prediction, Prevalence, Propensity Score, Questionnaire, Secondary Analysis, Self Reported Health, Sensitivity Analysis, Adult, Communicable Disease, Epidemiology, Female, Health Status, Human, Male, Middle Aged, Self Report, Adult, Communicable Diseases, Female, Global Health, Health Status, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Parasitic Diseases, Quality Of Life, Self Reportmental health, meta-analysis, parasitic disease, pathogen, public health, quality of life, Article, dispersity, economic aspect, global health, health, history, infection, Likert scale, parasitosis, prediction, prevalence, propensity score, questionnaire, secondary analysis, self reported health, sensitivity analysis, adult, communicable disease, epidemiology, female, health status, human, male, middle aged, self report, Adult, Communicable Diseases, Female, Global Health, Health Status, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Parasitic Diseases, Quality of Life, Self ReportGlobal HealthCommunicable DiseasesMultiverse AnalysisMental HealthArticle