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The effect of relationship status on health with dynamic health and persistent relationships

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  • Kohn, Jennifer L.
  • Averett, Susan L.

Abstract

The dynamic evolution of health and persistent relationship status pose econometric challenges to disentangling the causal effect of relationships on health from the selection effect of health on relationship choice. Using a new econometric strategy we find that marriage is not universally better for health. Rather, cohabitation benefits the health of men and women over 45, being never married is no worse for health, and only divorce marginally harms the health of younger men. We find strong evidence that unobservable health-related factors can confound estimates. Our method can be applied to other research questions with dynamic dependent and multivariate endogenous variables.

Suggested Citation

  • Kohn, Jennifer L. & Averett, Susan L., 2014. "The effect of relationship status on health with dynamic health and persistent relationships," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 69-83.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jhecon:v:36:y:2014:i:c:p:69-83
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2014.03.010
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Shuai Chen & Jan C. van Ours, 2022. "Mental health effects of same‐sex marriage legalization," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(1), pages 42-56, January.
    2. Alice Zulkarnain & Sanders Korenman, 2019. "Divorce and health in middle and older ages," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 17(4), pages 1081-1106, December.
    3. Bünnings, Christian & Hafner, Lucas & Reif, Simon & Tauchmann, Harald, 2021. "In sickness and in health? Health shocks and relationship breakdown: Empirical evidence from Germany," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 190(C), pages 164-190.
    4. Shuai Chen & Jan C. Ours, 2018. "Subjective Well-being and Partnership Dynamics: Are Same-Sex Relationships Different?," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 55(6), pages 2299-2320, December.
    5. Chen, Shuai & van Ours, Jan C., 2020. "Symbolism matters: The effect of same-sex marriage legalization on partnership stability," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 178(C), pages 44-58.
    6. Daniel Avdic & Martin Karlsson, 2017. "Growth in Earnings and Health: Nothing is as Practical as a Good Theory," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 63(4), pages 777-787, December.
    7. Rong Fu & Haruko Noguchi, 2018. "Does the positive relationship between health and marriage reflect protection or selection? Evidence from middle-aged and elderly Japanese," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 16(4), pages 1003-1016, December.
    8. Johannes Schuenemann & Holger Strulik & Timo Trimborn, 2020. "The Marriage Gap: Optimal Aging and Death in Partnerships," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 36, pages 158-176, April.
    9. Sabia, Joseph J. & Wooden, Mark & Nguyen, Thanh Tam, 2018. "Sexual identity, same-same relationships, and health dynamics: New evidence from Australia," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 24-36.
    10. Kazuma Sato, 2020. "Does marriage improve subjective health in Japan?," The Japanese Economic Review, Springer, vol. 71(2), pages 247-286, April.
    11. James Banks & Iris Kesternich & James P. Smith, 2021. "International differences in interspousal health correlations," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(5), pages 1152-1177, May.
    12. Jutta Mata & David Richter & Thorsten Schneider & Ralph Hertwig, 2018. "How Cohabitation, Marriage, Separation and Divorce Influence BMI: A Prospective Panel Study," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 973, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    13. Mata, Jutta & Frank, Ronald & Hertwig, Ralph, 2015. "Higher body mass index, less exercise, but healthier eating in married adults: Nine representative surveys across Europe," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 119-127.
    14. Andree Ehlert, 2021. "The effects of health shocks on family status: do financial incentives encourage marriage?," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 22(9), pages 1393-1409, December.
    15. Hillebrandt, Marc-André, 2022. "Impact of changes in relationship status on smoking behavior and body weight," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 44(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Endogenous dummy variables; Dynamic panel data; Health and marriage;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I1 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health
    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure

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