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The company you keep: health behavior among work peers

Author

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  • Gerald J. Pruckner

    (Johannes Kepler University Linz
    Johannes Kepler University Linz)

  • Thomas Schober

    (Johannes Kepler University Linz
    Johannes Kepler University Linz)

  • Katrin Zocher

    (Johannes Kepler University Linz
    Johannes Kepler University Linz)

Abstract

There is widespread agreement that behavior crucially influences one’s health. However, little is known about what actually determines health-related behavior. We explore the impact of the place where many people spend most of their time, at work, and analyze whether an individual’s decision to participate in health screening is related to the observed behavior of peers at work. We use linked employer–employee data and exploit the transitions of workers to new jobs. We find that the health behavior of co-workers highly correlated. A comparison of individuals moving into new firms shows that participation in general health checks, mammography screening, and prostate-specific antigen tests increases with the share of work peers attending these screenings. To differentiate between peer effects and common influences at the workplace, we further separate the peer groups within firms and show that workers with similar characteristics tend to have a stronger effect on individual screening participation.

Suggested Citation

  • Gerald J. Pruckner & Thomas Schober & Katrin Zocher, 2020. "The company you keep: health behavior among work peers," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 21(2), pages 251-259, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:eujhec:v:21:y:2020:i:2:d:10.1007_s10198-019-01124-4
    DOI: 10.1007/s10198-019-01124-4
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    1. Kristin A. Horan & Madeline Marks & Jessica Ruiz & Clint Bowers & Annelise Cunningham, 2021. "Here for My Peer: The Future of First Responder Mental Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-13, October.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Health behavior; Screening; Peer effects; Workplace;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness

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