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The Poor Health Status of the Hungarians; Comparative Macro-Analysis of the Likely Explanatory Factors on Hungarian and Austrian Data, 1960-2004

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  • Maria Lacko

    (Hungarian Academy of Sciences)

Abstract

In Hungary, the health status of working age men is extremely bad in comparison with working age men in both developed market economies and neighboring transition countries. The study, based on data between 1960 and 2004, intends to discover the reasons for this peculiar situation by investigating the health status of the population in Hungary and Austria with health-production functions on a macro level and by making comparisons. The rationale for comparison of these very countries is the territorial closeness and the long mutual past. The mortality rate of the working age population (15–60 years old) is considered a proxy variable for health status. According to this indicator, health status in the two countries was at the same level in 1960s, but started to diverge around 1970. As an explanatory variable, indicators of life style, long-term economic development, healthcare resources and the situation in the labor market are taken into account. The results reveal that the poor health of the adult male population of Hungary can primarily be explained by high levels of prolonged alcohol consumption, heavy smoking and widespread self-exploitative excess work in the hidden economy, especially during the period of socialism. In Austria, alcohol consumption, and smoking are also relevant factors, but with much less effect than in Hungary.

Suggested Citation

  • Maria Lacko, 2011. "The Poor Health Status of the Hungarians; Comparative Macro-Analysis of the Likely Explanatory Factors on Hungarian and Austrian Data, 1960-2004," DANUBE: Law and Economics Review, European Association Comenius - EACO, issue 3, pages 1-21, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:cmn:journl:y:2011:i:3:p:1-21
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    Cited by:

    1. Judit Karsai, 2012. "Development of the Hungarian Venture Capital and Private Equity Industry over the Past Two Decades," CERS-IE WORKING PAPERS 1201, Institute of Economics, Centre for Economic and Regional Studies.
    2. Martin Gaechter & Peter Schwazer & Engelbert Theurl, 2012. "Stronger Sex but Earlier Death: A Multi-level Socioeconomic Analysis of Gender Differences in Mortality in Austria," DANUBE: Law and Economics Review, European Association Comenius - EACO, issue 1, pages 1-23, March.
    3. Lackó, Mária, 2020. "Korai és időskori halálozások különbségei Európában a 2000-es évek első évtizedében [Disparities in Europes premature and old-age mortality in the first decade of the 2000s]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(10), pages 957-992.
    4. Maria Lacko, 2015. "Some Explanation of Disparities of Mortality Rates of Working Age Population in Eastern, Central and Western Europe," CERS-IE WORKING PAPERS 1535, Institute of Economics, Centre for Economic and Regional Studies.
    5. Zsombor Z. Meder & Andras Simonovits & Janos Vincze, 2012. "Tax Morale and Tax Evasion: Social Preferences and Bounded Rationality," CERS-IE WORKING PAPERS 1203, Institute of Economics, Centre for Economic and Regional Studies.
    6. Molnár, György & Kapitány, Zsuzsa, 2014. "Miért elégedetlenek annyira a magyarok az életükkel?. A szubjektív jóllétet befolyásoló tényezők mikroszintű összehasonlító elemzése magyar és osztrák adatokon [Why are Hungarians dissatisfied?. A ," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(6), pages 637-671.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Health Production Function; Mortality; Life Style Effects; Longitudinal Regression;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior

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