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The relationship between happiness and health: evidence from Italy

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  • Sabatini, F;

Abstract

We test the relationship between happiness and self-rated health in Italy. The analysis relies on a unique dataset collected through the administration of a questionnaire to a representative sample (n = 817) of the population of the Italian Province of Trento in March 2011. Based on probit regressions, instrumental variables estimates and structural equations modelling, we find that happiness is strongly correlated with perceived good health, after controlling for a number of relevant socio-economic phenomena. Health inequalities based on income, work status and education are relatively contained in respect to the rest of Italy. As expected, this scales down the role of social capital.

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Bibliographic Info

Paper provided by HEDG, c/o Department of Economics, University of York in its series Health, Econometrics and Data Group (HEDG) Working Papers with number 11/07.

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Date of creation: Jun 2011
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Handle: RePEc:yor:hectdg:11/07

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Web page: http://www.york.ac.uk/res/herc/research/hedg/
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Keywords: cooperative enterprises; happiness; health; instrumental variables; Italy; life satisfaction; non-profit; social capital; structural equations modelling.;

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Cited by:
  1. Wolfgang Frimmel & Gerald J. Pruckner, 2011. "Birth weight and family status revisited: evidence from Austrian register data," NRN working papers 2011-18, The Austrian Center for Labor Economics and the Analysis of the Welfare State, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria.
  2. Yamamura, Eiji & Andrés, Antonio R., 2011. "Influence of age of child on differences in marital satisfaction of males and females in East Asian countries," MPRA Paper 32756, University Library of Munich, Germany.
  3. Sabatini, Fabio, 2011. "Democracy or videocracy? An econometric analysis of the role of television in the Italian political arena," MPRA Paper 31117, University Library of Munich, Germany.
  4. Eiji Yamamura & Antonio Rodriguez, 2012. "Influence of age of child on differencesinlife satisfaction ofmalesand females: A comparative study among East Asian countries," Development Research Working Paper Series 04/2012, Institute for Advanced Development Studies.
  5. Sabatini Fabio, 2011. "Who trusts Berlusconi? An econometric analysis of the role of television in the political arena," wp.comunite 0075, Department of Communication, University of Teramo.
  6. Yamamura, Eiji, 2012. "Influence of age of child on differences in life satisfaction of males and females: A comparative study among East Asian countries," MPRA Paper 36988, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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