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Behavioural Response to a Sudden Health Risk: Dengue and Educational Outcomes in Colombia

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  • Kai Barron
  • Luis F. Gamboa
  • Paul Rodriguez-Lesmes

Abstract

This paper makes use of a short, sharp, unexpected health shock to examine the indirect behavioural response of the general public to a sudden shift in the perceived risk of a substantial deterioration of health and mortality. While existing work has been done estimating the direct effects of an epidemic on the afflicted families, we instead focus on assessing the indirect effect of a sudden epidemic on the population as a whole, mediated by the behavioural response to the sudden shift in the perceived risks of engaging in certain activities. Our analysis finds that the influence of the epidemic extends far beyond those directly afflicted: it essentially comprises a behavioural response to the fear of contracting the disease. Strikingly, we find that close to 4 fewer students, out of a typical class of 47 pupils, sit their school leaving examination for every additional 10 cases of severe Dengue per 10.000 inhabitants in a municipality, but the response to classic Dengue is inconclusive. ****** Este documento utiliza un evento de salud corto e inesperado para analizar la existencia de respuestas indirectas de la población frente a cambios repentinos en el riesgo percibido de un deterioro de salud. El trabajo se enfoca en evaluar los efectos indirectos de un brote epidémico repentino sobre la población como un todo, reconociendo la existencia de otros trabajos que evalúan los efectos directos. El análisis encuentra que la influencia de la epidemia va más allá de los directamente afectados, mostrando que existe un comportamiento particular en respuesta al temor de contraer la enfermedad. En particular, se encuentra que en un curso con un tamano aproximado de 47 estudiantes, faltan aproximadamente 4 estudiantes a la prueba Saber 11 por cada 10 casos adicionales de dengue hemorrágico por 10.000 habitantes, pero la respuesta a casos de dengue clásico no es concluyente.

Suggested Citation

  • Kai Barron & Luis F. Gamboa & Paul Rodriguez-Lesmes, 2016. "Behavioural Response to a Sudden Health Risk: Dengue and Educational Outcomes in Colombia," Documentos de trabajo 17667, Escuela de Gobierno - Universidad de los Andes.
    • Handle: RePEc:col:000547:017667
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    3. Cho, Hyunkuk & Kwon, Jihyeon, 2021. "Pandemic and hospital avoidance: Evidence from the 2015 Middle East respiratory syndrome outbreak in South Korea," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 203(C).
    4. Cortés, Darwin & Gamboa, Luis Fernando & Rodríguez-Lesmes, Paul, 2020. "Contraception, Intra-household Behaviour and Epidemic: Evidence from the Zika crisis in Colombia," Working papers 66, Red Investigadores de Economía.
    5. Barron, Kai & Bradshaw, Debbie & Parry, Charles D. H. & Dorrington, Rob & Groenewald, Pam & Laubscher, Ria & Matzopoulos, Richard, 2021. "Alcohol and Short-Run Mortality: Evidence from a Modern-Day Prohibition," Rationality and Competition Discussion Paper Series 273, CRC TRR 190 Rationality and Competition.
    6. Gamboa, Luis Fernando & Rodriguez Lesmes, Paul, 2019. "The fertility-inhibiting effect of mosquitoes: Socio-economic differences in response to the Zika crisis in Colombia," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 63-72.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Health risks; health and education; dengue outbreaks. Riesgos de salud; salud; educación; dengue.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I15 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Economic Development
    • I20 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - General
    • D80 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - General

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