Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 3 complete abstracts (586 words), 9 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
The level of health of the individual, group, or population as subjectively assessed by the individual or by more objective measures.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Status, Health; Level of Health; Health Level; Health Levels; General Health Status; Health Status, General; Status, General Health; General Health Level.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Demography
- Narrower topics
- Geriatric Assessment; Health Inequities; Nutritional Status; Social Determinants of Health; Functional Status; Health Status Disparities; Psychosocial Functioning; Quality of Life
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 560,425 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Health Status” (counts retrieved 2026-10-31). 207,812 of them (37.1%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is 2020 onward with 207,812 records.
Reviews account for 89,845 records (16.0%) and meta-analyses for 10,859. Randomized controlled trials number 42,889 (7.7%) as a share of all records on the topic.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 48,489 |
| 2000-2009 | 101,045 |
| 2010-2019 | 203,079 |
| 2020 onward | 207,812 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 89,845 | 16.0% |
| Meta-analyses | 10,859 | 1.9% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 42,889 | 7.7% |
Method: PubMed query "Health Status"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-10-31.
Reading the evidence in public health and nutrition
Population and nutrition studies mostly observe what people eat, breathe or are exposed to and then look for links with health, which shows association and not proof of cause. Self-reported diet is imprecise, people who eat or live differently also differ in other ways, and effects measured across a population may not apply to one person. Check the study design, how exposure was measured, what else was accounted for and the size of the effect, not only whether it was statistically significant.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health-related quality of life and metabolic control in older people with diabetes mellitus | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 0 | cc by PMID 42879611 · DOI · PMC13652534 |
| Gustatory dysfunction under talquetamab therapy in multiple myeloma: a cross-sectional study of patient-reported course, nutritional changes, and quality of life | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 0 | cc by PMID 42834234 · DOI · PMC13638732 |
| Health-related quality of life in women and men with long COVID | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 0 | cc by PMID 42932293 · DOI · PMC13704833 |
Health-related quality of life and metabolic control in older people with diabetes mellitus [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Objectiveto analyze health-related quality of life and its correlation with metabolic control in older people with diabetes mellitus treated in Primary Health Care.
- Closing excerpt
- 5% were women, and 86% had Conclusionhigher health-related quality of life scores, especially in the domains of general health and mental health, were associated with better metabolic control parameters, indicating the relevance of integrated approaches in the care of older people with diabetes mellitus in Primary Health Care.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (133 words)
Objectiveto analyze health-related quality of life and its correlation with metabolic control in older people with diabetes mellitus treated in Primary Health Care.Methodobservational, cross-sectional, and correlational study involving 264 older individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus, treated in primary health care. Health-related quality of life was assessed using the Short Form Health Survey version 2 questionnaire, and metabolic control was assessed through laboratory tests (fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, lipid profile). Descriptive statistics and Spearman's correlation (α=0.05) were applied.Resultsparticipants had an average age of 70.23 years, 70.5% were women, and 86% had Conclusionhigher health-related quality of life scores, especially in the domains of general health and mental health, were associated with better metabolic control parameters, indicating the relevance of integrated approaches in the care of older people with diabetes mellitus in Primary Health Care.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42879611 · DOI · PMC13652534
Gustatory dysfunction under talquetamab therapy in multiple myeloma: a cross-sectional study of patient-reported course, nutritional changes, and quality of life [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- The purpose of this study is to characterize patient-reported taste disturbances, recalled symptom course, nutritional changes, and quality of life in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma treated with talquetamab.
- Closing excerpt
- Prospective evaluations of supportive care are needed.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (227 words)
The purpose of this study is to characterize patient-reported taste disturbances, recalled symptom course, nutritional changes, and quality of life in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma treated with talquetamab. This single-center cross-sectional study combined taste-strip testing with a study-specific questionnaire, EORTC QLQ-C30, and PHQ-4 in 32 patients. Analyses used recorded aggregate correct-identification counts without a normative hypogeusia classification. Symptom timing and changes since treatment initiation were recalled at one assessment. All patients reported taste disturbances during therapy. The median identification count was 2.5 (interquartile range 0.75-7.25); eight patients had no correct identifications. Twenty-three (71.9%) described onset within 14 days. Current appetite reduction was reported by 20 patients (62.5%), whose mean identification count was lower than that of the other 12 patients (2.45 versus 7.83; mean difference - 5.38, 95% confidence interval - 8.20 to - 2.57; p = 0.0006). Sixteen patients (50.0%) reported directional weight loss, with a median loss of 4.5 kg. Ten (31.3%) had considered stopping talquetamab; seven explicitly cited taste disturbance. Mean global health status was 50.5/100 and correlated with identification count (r = 0.406; p = 0.021). Taste disturbances co-occurred with substantial nutritional concerns. Lower taste-identification counts were associated with current appetite reduction and lower global health status. The findings support attention to taste-related burden but do not establish causality, sustained recovery, or effects on adherence. Prospective evaluations of supportive care are needed.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42834234 · DOI · PMC13638732
Health-related quality of life in women and men with long COVID [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Long COVID is associated with persistent physical and emotional symptoms that may substantially impair health-related quality of life, with growing evidence suggesting that these outcomes differ between women and men.
- Closing excerpt
- Larger, adequately powered studies are needed to determine whether the factors associated with health-related quality of life differ by sex.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (226 words)
Long COVID is associated with persistent physical and emotional symptoms that may substantially impair health-related quality of life, with growing evidence suggesting that these outcomes differ between women and men. This cross-sectional study examined sex differences in health-related quality of life, lifestyle habits, and symptom severity in long COVID, and explored factors associated with health-related quality of life in women and men. A total of 342 adults with long COVID (mean age = 51.20 years, SD = 10.49; 265 women and 77 men) completed a battery of questionnaires during a single, face-to-face individual assessment session. The questionnaires assessed health-related quality of life, smoking behaviour, physical activity, dyspnoea, fatigue, and anxiety and depressive symptoms. Controlling for age and months since diagnosis, women reported lower quality of life and greater dyspnoea severity than men, whereas no sex differences were observed in smoking behaviour, fatigue severity, or anxiety and depressive symptoms. In sex-stratified exploratory analyses, poorer quality of life was associated with greater dyspnoea, fatigue, and emotional symptom severity in women, whereas in men it was associated with greater fatigue. However, interactions between sex and these factors were not statistically significant. These findings indicate sex differences in health-related quality of life and dyspnoea severity among individuals with long COVID. Larger, adequately powered studies are needed to determine whether the factors associated with health-related quality of life differ by sex.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42932293 · DOI · PMC13704833
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article The prognostic role of Geriatric 8 in patients with cancer: a meta-analysis and systematic review [4]
- Research article Impact of physical exercise on health and social interaction in older adults: a meta-analysis [5]
- Research article Association between oral health-related quality of life and structural determinants of health among elderly populations. a systematic review and meta-analysis [6]
- Research article Global inequities in the survival of extremely preterm infants: a systematic review and meta-analysis [7]
- Research article Nutritional Status of Children Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis [8]
- Research article Health-related quality of life in COVID-19 patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis of EQ-5D studies [9]
Full-text reviews on EvidenceLib
Open-access review articles about this topic, reproduced in full with authors, licence and references.
Consumption of ultra-processed foods and health status: a systematic review and meta-analysis
G Pagliai, M Dinu, M P Madarena et al. · The British Journal of Nutrition 2021 · CC BY 4.0
References
- Figueira ALG, Margarido CA, Diniz MAA, Oliveira MP, Bacalhau L, Kusumota L. Health-related quality of life and metabolic control in older people with diabetes mellitus. . 2026. PMID 42879611 · DOI · PMC13652534
- Fleischer A, Burger C, Roll M, Panther F, Strunz PP, Peter J, et al.. Gustatory dysfunction under talquetamab therapy in multiple myeloma: a cross-sectional study of patient-reported course, nutritional changes, and quality of life. . 2026. PMID 42834234 · DOI · PMC13638732
- Garces-Arilla S, Fidalgo C, Mendez-Lopez M, Hidalgo V, Del Corral-Beamonte E, Osma J. Health-related quality of life in women and men with long COVID. . 2026. PMID 42932293 · DOI · PMC13704833
- Chen R, Yang D, Tian M, Xu H, Jin X. The prognostic role of Geriatric 8 in patients with cancer: a meta-analysis and systematic review. Oncologist. 2025. PMID 40542587 · DOI · PMC12204759
- Tao M, Li S, Li L, Cao Y, Zhuang J. Impact of physical exercise on health and social interaction in older adults: a meta-analysis. Front Public Health. 2025. PMID 41048273 · DOI · PMC12488397
- Borg-Bartolo R, Roccuzzo A, Gambetta-Tessini K, Schimmel M, Molinero-Mourelle P, Sabatini G, et al.. Association between oral health-related quality of life and structural determinants of health among elderly populations. a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Equity Health. 2025. PMID 40597152 · DOI · PMC12210546
- Getaneh T, Homaira N, Kasaye H, Tapawan SJC, Chughtai AA, Lui K. Global inequities in the survival of extremely preterm infants: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Pediatr. 2025. PMID 40739629 · DOI · PMC12309206
- Alhrbi A, Vlachopoulos D, Healey EM, Massoud AT, Morris C, Revuelta Iniesta R. Nutritional Status of Children Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Hum Nutr Diet. 2025. PMID 40708203 · DOI · PMC12290316
- Gidey K, Niriayo YL, Asgedom SW, Lubetkin E. Health-related quality of life in COVID-19 patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis of EQ-5D studies. Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2025. PMID 41057923 · DOI · PMC12506383
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-11-04; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-11-04.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.