Background The rural–urban gap in socioeconomic and morbidity status among older adults is prevalent in India. These disparities may impact the levels and factors of self-rated health (SRH). The objective of the study is to compare the levels and determinants of SRH between rural and urban areas by considering the moderating effects of marital status and living arrangements. Subjects and methods The present study used data from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI) wave 1 (2017–18). A total sample of 30,633 older adults aged 60 years and above were selected for the study. Descriptive statistics, bivariate chi-square test, the interaction effect of living arrangements and marital status, and logistic estimation were applied to accomplish the study objectives. Results The prevalence of poor SRH was found 7% higher in rural areas compared to urban counterparts. A substantial rural–urban disparity in the patterns of poor SRH was also observed. The interaction effect of marital status and living arrangement on self-rated health suggested that older adults who were currently unmarried and living alone were 38% more likely to report poor SRH than those who were currently married and co-residing in rural India. In addition to marital status and living situation, other factors that significantly influenced SRH include age, socio-cultural background (educational attainment and religion), economic background (employment status), health status (ADLs, IADLs, multi-morbidities), and geographic background (region). Conclusion The present study's findings demonstrated that, notwithstanding local variations, marital status and living circumstances significantly influenced SRH in India. In the present study, unmarried older people living alone were more susceptible to poor SRH in rural areas. The present study supports the importance of reinforcing the concepts of care and support for older individuals. There is a need for special policy attention to older individuals, particularly those unmarried and living alone. Although older individuals had difficulty performing ADLs and IADLs and had multi-morbidities, they reported poorer health. Therefore, offering them social support and top-notch medical assistance is crucial.

Background Migrant status with mobility impairment becomes a double burden for health and wellbeing of older adults. This study examined the independent relationships and multitude effects between migrant status, functional and mobility impairments and poor self-rated health (SRH) among older Indian adults. Methods This study utilised nationally representative Longitudinal Ageing Study in India wave-1 (LASI) data, including a sample of 30,736 individuals aged 60 years and above. The main explanatory variables were migrant status, difficulty in activities of daily living (ADL), difficulty in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) and mobility impairments; and the outcome variable was poor-SRH. Multivariable logistic regression and stratified analyses were used to fulfil the study objectives. Results Overall, about 23% of older adults reported poor-SRH. Reporting poor-SRH was more prevalent (28.03%) among recent migrants (less than ten years). The prevalence of reporting poor-SRH was significantly higher among older adults who had mobility impairment (28.65%), difficulty in ADL or IADL (40.82% & 32.57%). Migrant older adults (regardless of duration) who had mobility impairment had significantly greater odds of reporting poor-SRH compared with non-migrant older adults who did not have mobility impairment. Similarly, older respondents who had problems in ADL and IADL with migration status had higher odds of reporting poor-SRH than their non-migrant counterparts with no such problems. Conclusions The study revealed the vulnerability of migrant older adults with functional and mobility disability, as well as those with limited socioeconomic resources and suffering from multimorbidity on rating their perceived health. The findings can be utilised to target outreach programmes and provision of services for migrating older individuals with mobility impairments and enhance their perceived health and ensure active ageing.