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Does perception of life expectancy reflect health knowledge?

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  • Hamermesh, D.S.
  • Hamermesh, F.W.

Abstract

Analysis of original survey data shows White male smokers estimate their longevity as four years less than that of nonsmokers, roughly the actuarial difference. Those who do not exercise perceive the same life expectancy as those who exercise, somewhat inconsistent with available information on mortality. Men with long-lived parents and grandparents expect to live 12-18 years longer than those with short-lived forebears, far longer than studies of actual longevity imply. Men who are more than 15 per cent overweight expect to live four years less, a larger impact than the published actuarial difference.

Suggested Citation

  • Hamermesh, D.S. & Hamermesh, F.W., 1983. "Does perception of life expectancy reflect health knowledge?," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 73(8), pages 911-914.
    • Handle: RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:1983:73:8:911-914_1
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    Cited by:

    1. Patrick Meyer & Gregory Ponthiere, 2020. "Human lifetime entropy in a historical perspective (1750–2014)," Cliometrica, Springer;Cliometric Society (Association Francaise de Cliométrie), vol. 14(1), pages 129-167, January.
    2. Daniel S. Hamermesh, 2004. "Subjective Outcomes in Economics," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 71(1), pages 1-11, July.
    3. Tomas Philipson & John Cawley, 1999. "An Empirical Examination of Information Barriers to Trade in Insurance," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 89(4), pages 827-846, September.
    4. Kathleen McGarry, 2004. "Health and Retirement: Do Changes in Health Affect Retirement Expectations?," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 39(3).
    5. David E. Bloom & David Canning & Michael Moore & Younghwan Song, 2007. "The Effect of Subjective Survival Probabilities on Retirement and Wealth in the United States," Chapters, in: Robert L. Clark & Naohiro Ogawa & Andrew Mason (ed.), Population Aging, Intergenerational Transfers and the Macroeconomy, chapter 4, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    6. Brigitte Dormont & Anne-Laure Samson & Marc Fleurbaey & Stéphane Luchini & Erik Schokkaert, 2018. "Individual Uncertainty About Longevity," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 55(5), pages 1829-1854, October.
    7. Michael D. Hurd & Kathleen McGarry, 2002. "The Predictive Validity of Subjective Probabilities of Survival," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 112(482), pages 966-985, October.
    8. Suranovic, Steven M. & Goldfarb, Robert S. & Leonard, Thomas C., 1999. "An economic theory of cigarette addiction," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 1-29, January.
    9. Viscusi, W Kip, 1999. "The Governmental Composition of the Insurance Costs of Smoking," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 42(2), pages 575-609, October.

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