In this paper, we investigate the impact of aggregate and idiosyncratic economic shocks on health using data on self-reported health status and mortality from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics. First, we document a large correlation between poor macroeconomic conditions and mortality for working-aged men. This correlation is robust to controls for baseline health which mitigates concerns that the correlation is the result of selection. There is no relationship between macroeconomic conditions and mortality for women. Next, to better understand how much of this correlation is the result of a causal impact of income shocks on health, we use methods from the literature on dynamic panel data models. Doing this, we find evidence of a causal impact of income shocks on health for working-aged men at the lowest parts of the income distribution. Finally, our analysis provides no evidence that recessions are good for your health.
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Paper provided by University of Hawaii at Manoa, Department of Economics in its series Working Papers with number
200606.
Find related papers by JEL classification: I0 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - General I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Production J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics
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References listed on IDEAS Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
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Cited by: (explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)
Timothy J. Halliday, 2007.
"Income Risk and Health,"
Working Papers
200710, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Department of Economics.
[Downloadable!]
Other versions:
Timothy Halliday, 2006.
"Income Risk and Health,"
Working Papers
200612, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Department of Economics.
[Downloadable!]