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Effort or Circumstances: Does the Correlation Matter for Inequality of Opportunity in Health?

Author

Listed:
  • Florence Jusot

    (LEDa-LEGOS (Université Paris-Dauphine))

  • Sandy Tubeuf

    (Academic Unit of Health Economics (University of Leeds))

  • Alain Trannoy

    (EHESS Ecole des hautes études en sciences sociales - GREQAM-IDEP Institut d’économie publique)

Abstract

This paper proposes a method to quantify the contribution of inequalities of opportunities and inequalities due to differences in effort to be in good health to overall health inequality. It examines three alternative specifications of legitimate and illegitimate inequalities drawing on Roemer, Barry and Swift’s considerations of circumstances and effort. The issue at stake is how to treat the correlation between circumstances and effort. Using a representative French health survey undertaken in 2006 and partly designed for this purpose, and the natural decomposition of the variance, the contribution of circumstances to inequalities in self-assessed health only differs of a few percentage points according to the approach. The same applies for the contribution of effort which represents at most 8%, while circumstances can account for up to 46%. The remaining part is due to the impact of age and sex.

Suggested Citation

  • Florence Jusot & Sandy Tubeuf & Alain Trannoy, 2010. "Effort or Circumstances: Does the Correlation Matter for Inequality of Opportunity in Health?," Working Papers DT33, IRDES institut for research and information in health economics, revised Jul 2010.
    • Handle: RePEc:irh:wpaper:dt33
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Guido Citoni, 2015. "On equity in health and health care consumption: the role of moral hazard," Working Papers CEB 15-042, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    2. Etilé, Fabrice & Jones, Andrew M., 2011. "Schooling and smoking among the baby boomers - An evaluation of the impact of educational expansion in France," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(4), pages 811-831, July.
    3. Bénédicte Apouey & Pierre-Yves Geoffard, 2013. "Child health and use of health care services in France: Evidence on the role of family income," PSE Working Papers halshs-00908932, HAL.
    4. Jean-François Carpantier & Christelle Sapata, 2013. "An Ex-Post View of Inequality of Opportunity in France and its Regions," Journal of Labor Research, Springer, vol. 34(3), pages 281-311, September.
    5. repec:dau:papers:123456789/9292 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. FLEURBAEY, Marc & SCHOKKAERT, Erik, 2011. "Equity in health and health care," LIDAM Discussion Papers CORE 2011026, Université catholique de Louvain, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE).
    7. Catherine Pollak, 2012. "Employed and Happy despite Weak Health? Labour Market Participation and Job Quality of Older Workers with Disabilities," Working Papers DT45, IRDES institut for research and information in health economics, revised Mar 2012.
    8. Pilar García‐Gómez & Erik Schokkaert & Tom Van Ourti & Teresa Bago d'Uva, 2015. "Inequity in the Face of Death," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 24(10), pages 1348-1367, October.
    9. Florence Jusot & Sandy Tubeuf & Alain Trannoy, 2013. "Circumstances And Efforts: How Important Is Their Correlation For The Measurement Of Inequality Of Opportunity In Health?," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 22(12), pages 1470-1495, December.
    10. Jean-François Carpantier & Christelle Sapata, 2012. "Unfair inequalities in France: A regional comparison," Working Papers hal-01821150, HAL.
    11. Luiz Andrade & Catherine Sermet & Sylvain Pichetti, 2016. "Entry time effects and follow-on drug competition," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 17(1), pages 45-60, January.
    12. Caroline Berchet & Nicolas Sirven, 2012. "Cross-Country Performance in Social Integration of Older Migrants. A European Perspective," Working Papers DT46, IRDES institut for research and information in health economics, revised Mar 2012.
    13. Mohamed Ali Ben Halima & Thierry Debrand & Camille Regaert, 2012. "Sick Leaves: Understanding Disparities Between French Departments," Working Papers DT50, IRDES institut for research and information in health economics, revised Oct 2012.
    14. Catherine Pollak & Nicolas Sirven, 2012. "Active Ageing Beyond the Labour Market: Evidence on Work Environment Motivations," Working Papers DT48, IRDES institut for research and information in health economics, revised May 2012.
    15. Sandy Tubeuf & Florence Jusot & Damien Bricard, 2012. "Mediating Role Of Education And Lifestyles In The Relationship Between Early‐Life Conditions And Health: Evidence From The 1958 British Cohort," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 21(S1), pages 129-150, June.
    16. Wonyra, Kwami Ossadzifo & Sanoussi, Yacobou & Sy, Ibrahima & Lanie, Tomgouani, 2021. "Inequalities of opportunity in the access and use of telecommunication services in Togo," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(5).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Equality of opportunity; inequality decomposition; health; effort; circumstances; variance; France;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior

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