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on Health Economics |
| By: | Athey, Susan (Stanford U); Simon, Lisa K. (Revelio Labs); Skans, Oskar N. (Uppsala U); Vikstrom, Johan (IFAU and Uppsala U); Yakymovych, Yaroslav (Uppsala U) |
| Abstract: | Using generalized random forests and rich Swedish administrative data, we show that the earnings effects of job displacement due to establishment closures are extremely heterogeneous across workers, establishments, and markets. The decile of workers with the largest predicted effects lose 50 percent of annual earnings the year after displacement and accumulated losses amount to 250 percent during a decade. In contrast, workers in the least affected decile experience only marginal losses of less than 6 percent in the year after displacement. Workers in the most affected decile tend to be lower paid workers on negative earnings trajectories. This implies that the economic value of (lost) jobs is greatest for workers with low earnings. The reason is that many of these workers fail to find new employment after displacement. Overall, the effects are heterogeneous both within and across establishments and combinations of important individual characteristics such as age and schooling. Adverse market conditions matter the most for already vulnerable workers. The most effective way to target workers with large effects, without using a complex model, is by focusing on older workers in routine-task intensive jobs. |
| JEL: | C45 J21 J31 J65 |
| Date: | 2023–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ecl:stabus:4148&r=hea |
| By: | John Bound (Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan); Charles Brown (Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan); Chichun Fang (Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan) |
| Abstract: | In this paper, we use administrative data from the Social Security Administration to validate survey responses for the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) regarding the application for disability benefits from Social Security Disability Insurance (DI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), focusing on applications that occurred after individuals entered the HRS. In our samples, amongst those that the administrative data identifies as having applied for DI or SSI, over 40% either do not report having applied or inaccurately identify whether or not the application was successful. We find some evidence that the less well educated, those with cognitive limitations, and those experiencing a health limitation on their capacity for work are more likely to misreport applications. We also explore the effect that reporting errors have on parameter estimates in a simple model of the application for DI benefits. Parameter estimates are qualitatively similar regardless of whether we use survey or administrative data to identify the application for DI benefits in our model. |
| Date: | 2023–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mrr:papers:wp462&r=hea |
| By: | Duryea, Suzanne; Martínez, Claudia; Smith, Raimundo |
| Abstract: | We study the effects of a new 1% employment quota enacted in Chile in 2018 using anonymized administrative data on monthly employer-employee linkages and disability certification records. Our firm-level difference-in-difference results show a 15-20% increase in the number of people with disabilities working in eligible firms after the quota. About a third of the employment effects occur through the relabeling of existing workers as workers with disabilities, and the remainder through new hires. There are no negative effects found for the firms or other workers. We also conducted an experiment in quota-eligible firms to study if firms can be nudged to employ people with disabilities (PwD) by sending letters containing different information. We find that the pure information treatment increased the number of PwD working in the firms and that most of this impact is explained by an increase in the reclassification of incumbent workers. While not transformational for the labor market, inclusion of PwD, quotas and nudges do have an effect. |
| Keywords: | Disability;Disability employment quota;Affirmative ac-tion;Difference-inDifference;RCT |
| JEL: | J14 J71 J78 |
| Date: | 2024–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:idb:brikps:13375&r=hea |
| By: | Italo Lopez Garcia (University of Southern California); Kathleen J. Mullen (University of Oregon); Jeffrey B. Wenger (RAND) |
| Abstract: | We examine of the role of physical and mental job requirements, as well as hazardous working conditions, on retirement and disability among older individuals in the United States. By linking occupation-level data on job requirements from the Occupational Requirements Survey (ORS) to individual-level data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), we create composite indices for physical activities and the physical work environment, as well as two indices of mental job requirements related to job autonomy and flexibility index, and being supervised and working with the pubic. Using data from the HRS Life History Mail Survey, we merge these indices to the HRS panel using the most important occupation held by the individual in her prime years. We find that a 1 standard deviation (SD) increase in the physical activity and physical work environment indices are associated with a 10 to 13 percentage point (pp) increase in the probability of being retired and a 3 to 5 pp increase in the probability of transitioning into retirement. The associations of these indices with disability outcomes follow the same patterns as retirement, but they are lower in magnitude. A 1 SD increase in job autonomy/flexibility is associated with a 22 pp decrease in the probability of being retired and a 12 pp decrease in retirement transitions, but it does not predict disability outcomes. Finally, the effects of physically demanding and hazardous jobs on labor force exit are concentrated among men and low-educated workers, while delays in retirement predicted by higher job autonomy and flexibility are driven by college-educated workers. |
| Date: | 2022–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mrr:papers:wp448&r=hea |
| By: | Dahl, Gordon B. (University of California, San Diego); Gielen, Anne C. (Erasmus University Rotterdam) |
| Abstract: | Can participation in safety net programs have long-lasting negative effects across multiple generations? Prior work shows a 1993 Dutch disability insurance reform which tightened requirements and lowered benefits for participants resulted in better outcomes for their children. We study the third generation, finding that grandchildren of individuals whose DI eligibility and benefits were reduced are less likely to be born premature, have low birthweight, or experience complicated deliveries. They also have better health and schooling outcomes during early childhood. These early-life improvements are consequential, as they have been linked to better health, education, and labor market outcomes in adulthood. |
| Keywords: | multigenerational links, disability insurance, child health |
| JEL: | I38 H53 J62 |
| Date: | 2024–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp16816&r=hea |
| By: | Tom Zawisza (University College London) |
| Abstract: | This project estimates the degree of disability risk among the United States and English over-50 populations. Using a disability measure that closely matches the criteria used by English and U.S. disability systems, we find both higher levels of disability in the U.S. and higher levels of disability risk in the U.S. Furthermore, we estimate spillovers between disability insurance and retirement pension program in the context of the increase in the United Kingdom retirement age for women in the years 2010 to 2019. We document that, despite a significant increase in disability benefit take-up among disabled individuals who would have been otherwise retired, these individuals experienced large losses in household income. Healthy individuals, in contrast, experienced much smaller losses in income, as they responded to the increase in the retirement age by increasing their labor-force participation. Finally, we develop a dynamic model of labor supply, social security benefits, and savings to evaluate the U.K. disability benefit system in the context of the U.K. retirement reform. This model uses as its inputs the parameters of the disability process we have estimated, and is estimated to match the responses to the reform. It can then be used to evaluate other joint reforms of disability and retirement program. |
| Date: | 2023–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mrr:papers:wp455&r=hea |
| By: | Richard Blundell (University College London and Institute for Fiscal Studies); Jack Britton (University of York and Institute for Fiscal Studies); Monica Costa Dias (University of Bristol and Institute for Fiscal Studies); Eric French (University of Cambridge and Institute for Fiscal Studies); Weijian Zou (Institute for Fiscal Studies) |
| Abstract: | Using data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), we estimate the impact of health on employment. Estimating the model separately by race and gender, we find that racial differences in employment can be partly explained by the worse health of minorities and the larger impact of health on employment for these groups. |
| Date: | 2022–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mrr:papers:wp451&r=hea |
| By: | Chiara Malavasi; Han Ye |
| Abstract: | We estimate the effect of additional pension income on mortality outcomes by exploring the eligibility criteria of a German program subsidizing the pensions of low-wage workers. Using novel administrative data, we find that eligibility leads to a 2-month delay in age at death (censored at 75). Survey evidence suggests that additional pension income improves both mental and physical health. In addition, individuals feel less financially constrained and are more optimistic about their future. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that the results are mainly driven by men. |
| Keywords: | Mortality, Health, Income, Pension subsidy, Retirement |
| JEL: | I10 I12 J14 J26 |
| Date: | 2024–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bon:boncrc:crctr224_2024_514&r=hea |
| By: | Emma Aguila (University of Southern California); Zeewan Lee (University of Southern California) |
| Abstract: | Growing U.S. income inequality and the aging of Black and Hispanic populations point to greater risks of financial insecurity for older populations in coming years. Research on retirement determinants for Blacks and Hispanics is limited. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study, we analyze retirement determinants for Blacks and Hispanics. We link this data to the Working Trajectories file and restricted SSA individual-level files to determine Social Security wealth by race and ethnic origin. Using sociodemographic, health, and economic covariates, we construct a conditional probit model that identifies the probability a given individual will retire from the workforce over time. We find that Hispanics, Blacks, and non-Hispanic whites respond similarly to Social Security, private pension incentives, and other institutional (e.g., health insurance) influences on retirement. In their retirement decisions, non-Hispanic Blacks are not responsive to some sociodemographic characteristics (male, couple, and number of household members), but they are responsive to physical and mental health problems. Hispanics are less responsive than non-Hispanic whites to most sociodemographic characteristics (male, education, and couple) and mental health problems in their retirement decisions. Our findings for non-Hispanic whites are consistent with previous literature. Our research can inform programs and policies to improve the quality of life for older adults, especially those isolated by cultural, economic, educational, or other barriers. |
| Date: | 2022–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mrr:papers:wp452&r=hea |
| By: | Attanasio, Orazio P.; Lopez Boo, Florencia; Perez-Lopez, Diana; Reynolds, Sarah Anne |
| Abstract: | Gaps in child development by socioeconomic status (SES) start early in life, are large and can increase inequalities later in life. We use recent national-level, cross-sectional and longitudinal data to examine inequalities in child development (namely, language, cognition, and socio-emotional skills) of children 0-5 in five Latin American countries (Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay). In the cross-section analysis, we find statistically significant gaps with inequality patterns that widely differ across countries. For instance, gaps in language and cognition for Uruguay and Chile are much smaller than those for Colombia and Peru. When turning to the longitudinal data, average SES gaps are similar to those of the cross-section in language but differ substantially in cognition, mainly in Uruguay where they emerge as more unequal when cohort effects do not operate. Importantly, we also find that the ECD gaps found at early ages (0-5), still manifest 6-12 years later in almost all locations and realms in which we have measures of early child development, but they do not increase with age. Results are robust to using different measures of inequality (income and maternal education). Gaps are smaller but generally remain when adjusting for possible explanatory factors (e.g., family structure, parental education, geographic fixed effects). To reduce ECD inequality and promote equality in later life outcomes, policymakers should look to implementing evidence-based interventions at scale to improve developmental outcomes of the most disadvantaged children in society. |
| Keywords: | child development;inequalities;Latin America and the Caribbean |
| JEL: | I14 I24 I25 J13 J24 O54 |
| Date: | 2023–12 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:idb:brikps:13316&r=hea |
| By: | Bancalari, Antonella; Berlinski, Samuel; Buitrago, Giancarlo; García, María Fernanda; Mata, Dolores de la; Vera-Hernández, Marcos |
| Abstract: | Health constitutes a fundamental aspect of our well-being. It is also a key factor in determining our contribution to market and non-market output. Health inequality refers to the unequal realization of health outcomes between different groups in the population. Systematic disparities in health outcomes and in access to health resources not only undermine basic principles of fairness and social justice but also contributes towards perpetuating poverty and disadvantage. In this chapter, we start by presenting evidence on how the burden of disease in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) has changed during the last 30 years. Consistent with the fall in fertility and population aging, the region has shifted from a burden of disease dominated by maternal, neonatal, and communicable disease in the 1990s to one dominated by cardiovascular disease, cancers, diabetes, and increasingly by mental health disorders. The poorest in the region are burdened by worst access to maternal care and higher levels of infant mortality and stunting. Despite being knowledgeable about contraceptive methods, young women in Latin America and the Caribbean have very high levels of teenage pregnancy with a steep socio-economic gradient. Noncommunicable diseases also affect the poor disproportionately in many countries. Finally, mental health is a growing source of lost days of healthy living among women and the poor. Overall, our results highlight that despite the epidemiological transition which is underway, socio-economic health disparities in the LAC region are still more important on early childhood and teenagerhood than in adulthood, at least as it pertains to the outcomes analyzed in this chapter. At the same time, we show that while socio-economic inequalities in child health are smaller in the richest countries, the contrary happens with inequalities in some adult outcomes. |
| Keywords: | Contribution;Health inequality;women in Latin America;Mental health;Socio-economic health disparities |
| JEL: | I14 I15 I12 D6 |
| Date: | 2023–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:idb:brikps:13158&r=hea |
| By: | Alexander Ahammer (Department of Economics, Johannes Kepler University Linz); Ulrich Glogowsky (Department of Economics, Johannes Kepler University Linz); Martin Halla (Department of Economics, Vienna University of Economics and Business); Timo Hener (Department of Economics and Business Economics, Aarhus University) |
| Abstract: | Using Austrian and Danish administrative data, we examine the impacts of parenthood on mental health equality. Parenthood imposes a greater mental health burden on mothers than on fathers. It creates a long-run gender gap in antidepressant prescriptions of about 93.2% (Austria) and 64.8% (Denmark). Further evidence suggests that these parenthood penalties in mental health are unlikely to reflect differential help-seeking behavior across the sexes or the biological effects of giving birth to a child. Instead, they seem to mirror the psychological effects of having, raising, and investing in children. Supporting this interpretation, matched adoptive mothers (who do not experience the biological impacts of childbirth) also encounter substantial parenthood penalties. Moreover, mothers who invest more in childcare (by taking extended maternity leave in quasi-experimental settings) are more likely to face mental health problems. |
| Keywords: | Gender equality, fertility, parenthood, motherhood, mental health, parental leave |
| JEL: | D63 J13 I10 J16 J22 |
| Date: | 2024–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwwuw:wuwp359&r=hea |
| By: | Ghorpade, Yashodhan; Franco Restrepo, Camila; Castellanos Rodriguez, Luis Eduardo |
| Abstract: | This paper provides conceptual definitions and distinctions between formalization, worker protection and productivity enhancement, and examines the impact of social protection and labor market policies in achieving these inter-related yet distinct policy goals. Focusing on empirical evidence from low- and middle-income countries collated from over 200 reviewed studies, reports, and documents, the authors find that workforce formalization is best achieved through macroeconomic and firm-level policies and through the extension of social insurance programs to the informally employed. Other social protection and labor market programs may only contribute marginally and indirectly to formalization. Workers’ protection is best enhanced through social insurance, social assistance, economic inclusion, and health benefits programs, and not as much through voluntary savings schemes, microinsurance, or wage subsidies on their own. Finally, the authors find that workers’ productivity can be enhanced through social assistance and economic inclusion programs, and the provision of childcare services. Contrary to expectations, labor market programs such as short-term job search assistance, vocational training, and job search assistance do not appear have a sustained impact on labor productivity among the informally employed. The authors outline guidelines and considerations for adopting the right mix of policies for pursuing formalization, protection, and productivity objectives, depending on the characteristics of workers and the economy, and argue for the prioritization of enhancing worker protection and productivity over pursuing formalization for its own sake. |
| Date: | 2024–03–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:hdnspu:188471&r=hea |
| By: | Jose A. Valderrama (Departamento de Economía de la Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú.); Javier Olivera (Departamento de Economía de la Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER).) |
| Abstract: | We study the effects of Peru’s social pension programme Pension 65 on mortality. The programme provides pensions to people aged 65 and older who do not have other pensions and are extreme poor. The analysis relies on survey data obtained at the baseline and matched to mortality records of 2012-2019. We exploit the discontinuity around the welfare index used by the programme to determine eligibility, and estimate intention-totreat effects. We find that after seven years, the programme could reduce mortality among eligible people by about 11.4 percentage points, implying about one year more in life expectancy. JEL Classification-JE: H55, I38, J14. |
| Keywords: | Mortality, non-contributory pensions, Poverty, regression discontinuity. |
| Date: | 2023 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pcp:pucwps:wp00525&r=hea |
| By: | Bancalari, Antonella; Bernal, Pedro; Celhay, Pablo; Martinez, Sebastian; Sánchez, María Deni |
| Abstract: | We examine the efficiency gains in health systems generated after the national roll out of basic healthcare in El Salvador between 2010 and 2013. Using data from over 120 million consultations and five million hospitalizations, we demonstrate that the expansion of community health teams, comprising less-specialized health workers, increases preventive care and decreases curative care and preventable hospitalizations. We also estimate coverage improvements for previously unattended chronic conditions amenable to effective primary care. These results suggest that decentralization of tasks to less-specialized health workers improves efficiency, maintaining quality of care. |
| Keywords: | community-based healthcare;efficiency;coverage |
| JEL: | I15 I18 H21 H51 |
| Date: | 2024–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:idb:brikps:13433&r=hea |
| By: | Susann Rohwedder (RAND); Péter Hudomiet (RAND); Michael D. Hurd (RAND) |
| Abstract: | We study out-of-pocket (OOP) medical expenditure risk of the U.S. population ages 55 and older using data from the Health and Retirement Study and its supplemental survey on household spending. We document trends in individual-level OOP spending from 1998 to 2018, both at the median and 95th percentile, showing a large increase until 2004, followed by rapid declines, so that 2018 OOP was less than 1998 OOP spending. We show how these changes impacted the budget share of OOP as a fraction of total household spending and analyze how households adjust the composition of their spending as OOP expenses vary. Because the distribution of OOP expenses is skewed, households face a non-negligible risk of incurring a large expense. We examined the extent to which OOP medical expenditures contribute to economic hardship among older households, as measured by food insecurity and skipping medications because of cost. We found a weak relationship with respect to food insecurity, suggesting that government programs, like Medicaid, help protect against OOP risk leading to such as an extreme form of hardship. However, we obtained statistically significant and economically meaningful effects with respect to medication insecurity: An increase from the 10th to the 90th percentile in OOP spending would increase the probability of medication insecurity by about 15 percentage points. When asked about their perceived OOP risk, individuals tend to substantially overestimate the chances of large OOP spending, although less so at advanced ages; prior experience with OOP expenses seems to lead to more accurate expectations. |
| Date: | 2022–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mrr:papers:wp457&r=hea |
| By: | Prati, Alberto; Saucet, Charlotte |
| Abstract: | The paper estimates the causal effect of a health treatment on patients’ beliefs, preferences and memories about the treatment. It exploits a natural experiment which occurred in the United Kingdom during the COVID-19 vaccination campaign. UK residents could choose to opt into the vaccination program, but not which vaccine they received. The assignment to a vaccine offered little objective information for learning about its qualities, but triggered strong psychological demand for reassuring beliefs. We surveyed a sample of UK residents about their beliefs on the different COVID-19 vaccines before and after receiving their jab. Before vaccination, individuals exhibit similar prior beliefs and stated preferences about the different vaccines. After vaccination, however, they update their beliefs overly optimistically about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine they received, state that they would have chosen it if they could, and have distorted memories about their past beliefs. These results cannot be explained by conventional experience effects. At the aggregated level, they show that random assignment to a health treatment predicts a polarization of opinions about its quality. At the individual level, these findings provide evidence in line with the predictions of motivated beliefs and over-inference from weak signals in a real-world health setting. |
| Keywords: | natural experiment; behavioral health economics; Covid-19; coronavirus; motivated beliefs; motivated memory; over-inference; grant 850996; MOREV (Motivated Reading of Evidence) project |
| JEL: | I12 I18 D91 |
| Date: | 2024–03–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ehl:lserod:122150&r=hea |
| By: | Felix Glaser; Rene Wiesinger |
| Abstract: | We use high-quality administrative data from Austria to credibly identify the causal effect of parental death on daughters' fertility. To account for the endogeneity of parental death, we exploit the timing of deaths in a difference-in-differences research design. Parental death has no statistically significant effect on daughters' fertility, even in situations where the loss of informal childcare should be particularly pronounced. The absence of a fertility effect is strengthened by an extensive series of robustness checks and results on complementary outcomes, including labor market participation, place of residence, and mental health. Our findings suggest that women do not make significant adjustments to important life decisions after the loss of a parent. |
| Keywords: | Parental death, fertility, difference-in-differences |
| JEL: | J13 J10 J20 I10 |
| Date: | 2024–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:jku:econwp:2024-01&r=hea |
| By: | Fanyu Liu (Tulane University); Kerui Geng (Tulane University) |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the impact of health insurance subsidies on the financial investments of low-income households. Specifically, we estimate the impact of Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance exchange (Marketplace) subsidies on mortgage applications and originations using comprehensive mortgage application record data. We use a difference-in-differences approach that exploits variation in county health insurance coverage rates at the time of reform. We find that the subsidies increased the amount of residential mortgages applied for by low-income households and the amount actually originated by financial institutions. To explore potential mechanisms, we use survey data and find that these subsidies increased low-income households' health insurance coverage rates, reduced large-scale household medical expenditures and mortgage delinquency rates. These findings highlight an aspect of the broader economic impact of the ACA health insurance subsidies beyond increasing coverage rates among the targeted group. |
| Keywords: | Residential Mortgage, ACA Marketplace, Health Insurance |
| JEL: | I13 R31 G21 I18 |
| Date: | 2024–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:tul:wpaper:2406&r=hea |
| By: | Martínez Villarreal, Déborah; Díaz, Lina M.; Maldonado, Stanislao |
| Abstract: | This study investigates the effectiveness of dynamic norm nudges in promoting second-dose HPV vaccinations among trendsetters--parents who initiated the first-dose HPV vaccine for their daughters between 2017-2020. Utilizing administrative data from Bogota's Secretariat of Health in a field experiment, we measure the impact of various norm nudges, including trending, qualitative, and quantitative dynamic norms, on actual vaccination rates. Contrary to our hypothesis, dynamic norms alone fail to influence second-dose HPV vaccination rates for these trendsetters. However, the study reveals a 5.22 percent increase attributed to injunctive norms, representing a substantial 34 percent boost compared to the control groups 15.2 percent average. These findings underscore the importance of tailoring nudge strategies to the unique characteristics and preferences of the target population. This research significantly advances our understanding of norm-based interventions' efficacy in influencing minority behaviors, offering valuable insights for developing targeted and impactful public health strategies. |
| Keywords: | nudge;behavioral economics;health;vaccination;HPV;Field experiment;Social norms;Trendsetters |
| JEL: | C93 D91 I10 I12 I15 I18 |
| Date: | 2023–12 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:idb:brikps:13312&r=hea |
| By: | Pozzi, Lucia; Scalone, Francesco; Raftakis, Michail; Kennedy, Liam |
| Abstract: | Previous studies have identified a link between religious affiliation and child mortality, yet the underlying factors that contributed to this association are not fully understood. This study investigates how religious affiliation might have influenced child mortality in early 20th- century Ireland, having controlled for socio-economic status, literacy, and place of residence at both individual and contextual levels. We utilize the 1911 IPUMS Irish census, indirect techniques, and regression analysis to examine the role of religious affiliation on child mortality. We conduct various OLS regressions, controlling for demographic factors and socioeconomic conditions at both individual and contextual levels. Our results indicate striking differences in child mortality rates among the three major religious denominations in Ireland in the early twentieth century. Catholics recorded the highest child mortality rates, followed by Church of Ireland families, while Presbyterians experienced the best child mortality outcomes. These differences are explained in part by the varying socioeconomic characteristics of each religious group but religious affiliation is also shown to have mattered. For reasons that are not altogether clear, Jewish communities (to compare one of the smaller religious denominations) had lower child mortality rates than any the three major religious denominations. |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:qucehw:285353&r=hea |
| By: | Kerui Geng (Tulane University) |
| Abstract: | The disparity in psychological well-being during adulthood can be traced back to early-life circumstances. While existing literature has highlighted the significant influence of contemporaneous factors on psychological well-being, little is known about its long-term determinants. I study the impact of early life circumstances on adult psychological well-being using the property reform in China as a positive and policy-driven change in economic resources in early life. Exploiting the staggered adoption of the reform, I find that exposure to property reform during the in-utero period and early childhood leads to higher adult life satisfaction, higher adult happiness, and better adult mental health. Larger effects are found among males and those whose parents are less educated. Birth weight, parental investment, adult health, and subjective assessments of one's circumstances are likely operative channels of effect. These findings shed light on the long-lasting consequences of early-life circumstances on psychological well-being in adulthood. |
| Keywords: | land reform, early-life circumstances, adult psychological well-being, life satisfaction, mental health |
| JEL: | I15 O15 |
| Date: | 2024–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:tul:wpaper:2407&r=hea |
| By: | McLaughlin, Eoin; Whelehan, Niall |
| Abstract: | Analysis of excess mortality holds the potential to revise understandings of key moments in modern Irish history. Yet aside from studies of the Great Famine, it has been neglected by historians of Ireland. Examining rates of excess mortality across post-Famine Ireland reveals that the Land War crisis of 1877-1882, a transformational period, was one of the worst public health crises of modern Irish history. In fact, during the years 1878-1880 excess mortality levels were much higher than during any other period from when registration records began in 1864 up to the present day. Western regions, particularly Co. Mayo, have long been considered the worst affected by this crisis, but from the perspective of excess mortality, we establish that this was an islandwide crisis and one that was more severe that previously understood. The study of excess mortality in Irish history has been neglected partly because of some concerns expressed by scholars about the reliability of the source material in the annual statistical reports of the Registrar General. Yet, we document the reliability of the registers by cross-referencing with census returns, demonstrating their accuracy in the 1870s and 1880s, and their importance as sources to provide vital insights and context in modern Irish history. |
| Keywords: | Land War, Excess Mortality, Ireland |
| JEL: | N13 N33 I18 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:qucehw:285352&r=hea |
| By: | Effrosyni Adamopoulou; Elisabetta Olivieri; Eleftheria Triviza |
| Abstract: | This study explores the long-run effects of a temporary scarcity of a consumption good on preferences towards that good once the shock is over. Specifically, we focus on individuals who were children during World War II and assess the consequences of the temporary drop in meat availability they experienced early in life. To this end, we combine new hand-collected historical data on the number of livestock at the local level with microdata on eating habits, health outcomes, and food consumption expenditures. By exploiting cohort and regional variation in a difference-in-differences estimation, we show that individuals who as children were more exposed to meat scarcity tend to consume relatively more meat and spend more on food during late adulthood. Consistent with medical studies on the side effects of meat overconsumption, we also find that these individuals have a higher probability of being obese, having poor self-perceived health, and developing cancer. The effects are larger for women and persist intergenerationally, as the adult children of mothers who experienced meat scarcity similarly tend to overconsume meat. Our results point towards a behavioral channel, where early-life shocks shape eating habits, food consumption, and adult health. |
| Keywords: | preferences, food consumption, early life experiences, gender differences |
| JEL: | D12 I10 N44 |
| Date: | 2023–12 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bon:boncrc:crctr224_2021_276v2&r=hea |
| By: | Laura Breitkopf; Shyamal Chowdhury; Shambhavi Priyam; Hannah Schildberg-Hörisch; Matthias Sutter |
| Abstract: | We use novel data on nearly 6, 000 children and adolescents aged 6 to 16 that combine incen-tivized measures of social, time, and risk preferences with rich information on child behavior and family environment to study whether children’s economic preferences predict their behavior. Re-sults from standard regression specifications demonstrate the predictive power of children’s pref-erences for their prosociality, educational achievement, risky behaviors, emotional health, and behavioral problems. In a second step, we add information on a family’s socio-economic status, family structure, religion, parental preferences and IQ, and parenting style to capture household environment. As a result, the predictive power of preferences for behavior attenuates. We discuss implications of our findings for research on the formation of children’s preferences and behavior. |
| Keywords: | social preferences, time preferences, risk preferences, experiments with children, origins of preferences, human capital, behavior |
| JEL: | C91 D01 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_10988&r=hea |
| By: | Christopher Roth (University of Cologne and ECONtribute, MPI for Research on Collective Goods); Peter Schwardmann (Carnegie Mellon University); Egon Tripodi (Hertie School of Governance) |
| Abstract: | Throughout history, people with mental illness have been discriminated against and stigmatized. Our experiment provides a new measure of perceived depression stigma and then investigates the causal effect of perceived stigma on help-seeking in a sample of 1, 844 Americans suffering from depression. A large majority of our participants overestimate the extent of stigma associated with depression. In contrast to prior correlational evidence, lowering perceived social stigma through an information intervention leads to a reduction in the demand for psychotherapy. A mechanism experiment reveals that this information increases optimism about future mental health, thereby reducing the perceived need for therapy. |
| Keywords: | Depression, Stigma, Information, Psychotherapy |
| Date: | 2024–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ajk:ajkdps:286&r=hea |
| By: | Caceres, Daniela; Valdivia, Melissa; Barron, Manuel |
| Abstract: | We study whether oncological insurance demand can be boosted by providing information on the likelihood of developing cancer at some point over the consumer’s lifetime. We conducted a lab- in-the-field hypothetical choice experiment on oncological insurance with adults aged 40-68 of middle to high socioeconomic status in Lima, Peru. A random subset of participants received information on the likelihood of developing cancer before the age of 75. Participants were offered partial and full insurance options. Information increased take-up for full insurance by 18 percentage points (33% of the control group rate) but did not affect demand for partial insurance. Treatment effect arose mostly from participants who do not live with an oncology patient at home, but are roughly constant by education, sex, and age. Our stylized model suggests that this effect is driven by consumers with low present bias. Our findings suggest that in developing countries, where information about the probability of developing cancer during one’s lifetime is not widely known, providing this information can boost demand for insurance, but that present- bias can hinder this effect. |
| Keywords: | oncologic insurance; insurance take-up; present bias; lab-in-the-field |
| JEL: | D91 I13 O12 |
| Date: | 2024–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:120274&r=hea |
| By: | Wolfgang Stojetz; Neil T. N. Ferguson; Ghassan Baliki; Sarah Fenzl; Patricia Justino; Tilman Brück |
| Abstract: | We study how the stringency of policy measures to counter the COVID-19 pandemic affects individuals' trust in formal institutions. Drawing on micro-level panel data from Germany spanning an 18-month period from the onset of the pandemic, we show that, on average, there is a pronounced negative relationship between the stringency level of COVID-19 countermeasures and trust in institutions. We present empirical evidence to argue that the underlying mechanism is a perceived illegitimate attack on civil liberties, reducing trust in the judiciary in particular. |
| Keywords: | COVID-19, Pandemic, Crisis, Survey data, Trust, Institutions |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp-2024-14&r=hea |
| By: | Sandra M. Leitner (The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw); Oliver Reiter (The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw) |
| Abstract: | This paper analyses changes in the speed of labour demand for new hires in response to the lockdowns that were repeatedly put in place to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. It tests whether the uncertainty-reducing effect of similar lockdowns occurring in quick succession increased the responsiveness of the labour market, thereby allowing for more rapid adjustment, both at the beginning and at the end of subsequent lockdowns. It uses high-frequency online job-posting data and applies an event study approach to the beginning of three national lockdowns and the subsequent reopening in Austria between 2020 and 2022. In view of the importance of progress in vaccination for labour market recovery, it also looks at vaccine roll-out as an additional COVID-19 containment measure, with 2021 as the main roll-out period. The results indicate very different responses to the three lockdowns, with a decline in job-posting activity of between 47% and 50% during the first lockdown and of between 29% and 31% during the second; but an increase of 23% to 28% during the last lockdown. Moreover, responses to the first lockdown were sluggish, with a slow decline at the beginning and a very slow recovery after it was lifted; but over subsequent lockdowns the responses were more rapid and more symmetrical. Responses to the various events differed by occupation and industry the strongest responses were to be observed in the highly skilled and more-teleworkable occupations of technicians, and managers and professionals, who were badly affected during the first lockdown; the leisure and hospitality industry, which was the hardest hit on account of the mandatory closures and the widespread travel restrictions and bans, and which recovered only very slowly; and the IT, internet and telecommunications industry, where posting activity developed in a direction opposite to that seen in the other industries. Finally, there is little robust evidence of a differentiated effect of vaccinations during lockdowns, suggesting that vaccination roll-out did not have an additional demand-generating effect, over and above the lockdowns. |
| Keywords: | online job posting, COVID-19, teleworkability, vaccinations, event study analysis |
| JEL: | J23 J63 O33 G14 |
| Date: | 2024–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wii:wpaper:243&r=hea |
| By: | Brotherhood, Luiz; Kircher, Philipp; Santos, Cezar; Tertilt, Michèle |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates the importance of the age composition for pandemic policy design. To do so, it introduces an economic framework with age heterogeneity, individual choice, and incomplete information, emphasizing the value of testing. Calibrating the model to the US Covid-19 pandemic reveals an 80% reduction in death toll due to voluntary actions and the lockdown implemented in the United States. The optimal lockdown, however, is more stringent than what was implemented in the United States. Moreover, the social planner follows an asymmetric approach by locking down the young relatively more than the old. We underscore the importance of testing, showing its impact on reduced deaths, lower economic costs and laxer lockdown. We use the framework to provide systematic insights into pandemics caused by different viruses (among others the Spanish flu), and underline the influence of economic conditions on optimal policies. |
| Keywords: | COVID-19;Testing;Social distancing;Age;Age-specific policies |
| JEL: | E17 C63 D62 I10 I18 |
| Date: | 2023–12 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:idb:brikps:13295&r=hea |
| By: | Sandra M. Leitner (The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw) |
| Abstract: | This paper analyses the relationship between working from home (WFH) and mental well-being at different stages during the first two critical years of the COVID-19 pandemic, when governments repeatedly imposed lockdowns and enacted WFH mandates to contain the spread of the virus. Using data from a representative survey conducted at four different time periods in 2020 (first lockdown, subsequent gradual reopening), 2021 (further lockdown) and 2022 (restrictions widely lifted) in the 27 EU member states, it examines the potentially changing role of several mediators over time, such as work-family conflict, family-work conflict, stability, resilience, isolation, the importance of different support networks, workload, physical risk of contracting COVID-19 at work, and housing conditions. For the first lockdown, it also differentiates by previous WFH experience, in terms of WFH novices and experienced WFH workers. It differentiates by gender, in order to take the potential gendered nature and effect of COVID-19 measures into account. The results show that while there was no direct relationship between WFH and mental well-being, there are several important mediators whose relevance was specific not only to certain stages of the pandemic, but also to previous experience with WFH and gender. Stability is the only mediator that was relevant over the entire two-year pandemic period. Work-family conflict and family-work conflict were only relevant during the first lockdown, while resilience and isolation mattered especially when most of the EU economies had lifted most of their restrictions. Unlike established WFH workers, WFH novices had an advantage during the first lockdown, benefiting from lower family-work conflict and more helpful networks of family and friends. Moreover, our results differ by gender for females who undertook WFH, important mediators were work-family conflict and family-work conflict. Both were related to adjustments they had to make in work and non-work hours in response to the enforced closure of schools and childcare facilities during the lockdowns, especially during the first. For males who undertook WFH, especially WFH novices, support from networks of family and friends was an important mediator. |
| Keywords: | working from home, mental well-being, COVID-19, structural equation modelling |
| JEL: | I10 I31 J81 |
| Date: | 2024–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wii:wpaper:244&r=hea |
| By: | Yoko Ibuka (Faculty of Economics, Keio University); Haruo Kakehi (Faculty of Economics, Keio University); Ryuki Kobayashi (Faculty of Economics, Keio University); Ryo Nakajima (Faculty of Economics, Keio University) |
| Abstract: | Studies have reported a strong association between policy stringency and mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic, primarily among females, but the causal effect of people's stay-at-home behavior on mental health is not yet known. This study evaluated how pandemic-related confinement at home affected the incidence of suicide among Japanese females. We employ a shift-share IV design, assessing whether differential exposure to the pandemic shock led to changes in the outcome variable. We found that suicide increased among females under 20 years old as more people stayed at home. The results are robust across different model specifications. Counterfactual analyses show that at least 37% of suicides in the demographic group can be attributed to home confinement. Our results suggest that a substantial part of the observed increase in suicide rates among female children and adolescents was driven by lifestyle changes during the pandemic. |
| Keywords: | COVID-19 pandemic, Mental health, Lockdown, Shift-share IV, Specification curve analysis |
| JEL: | H12 I12 I18 |
| Date: | 2024–02–29 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:keo:dpaper:2024-004&r=hea |