Health and Health Behaviors during the Worst of Times: Evidence from the Great Recession

Erdal Tekin, Chandler McClellan and Karen Jean Minyard ()
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Karen Jean Minyard: Georgia State University

No 7538, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: While previous studies have shown that recessions are associated with better health outcomes and behaviors, the focus of these studies has been on the relatively milder recessions of the late 20th century. In this paper, we examine if the previously established counter-cyclical pattern in health and heath behaviors is held during the Great Recession. Using data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) between 2005 and 2011 and focusing on a wide range of outcomes capturing health and health behaviors, we show that the association between economic deterioration and these outcomes has weakened considerably during the recent recession. In fact, majority of our estimates indicate that the relationship has practically become zero, though subtle differences exist among various sub-populations. Our results are consistent with the evidence emerging from several recent studies that suggests that the relationship between economic activity and health and health behaviors has become less noticeable in the recent years.

Keywords: business cycle; recession; health; health behavior (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: E32 I00 I10 I12 I14 I15 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 49 pages
Date: 2013-07
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hea, nep-mac and nep-spo
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (55)

Published - published as 'Health and health behaviors during the great recession: a note on drinking, smoking, obesity, and physical activity' in: Review of Economics of the Household, 2017, 16, 1017 - 1026

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