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Economic Status and Adult Mortality in India: Is the Relationship Sensitive to Choice of Indicators?

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  • Barik, Debasis
  • Desai, Sonalde
  • Vanneman, Reeve

Abstract

Research on economic status and adult mortality is often stymied by the reciprocity of this relationship and lack of clarity on which aspect of economic status matters. While financial resources increase access to healthcare and nutrition and reduce mortality, sickness also reduces labor force participation, thereby reducing income. Without longitudinal data, it is difficult to study the linkage between economic status and mortality. Using data from a national sample of 132,116 Indian adults aged 15 years and above, this paper examines their likelihood of death between wave 1 of the India Human Development Survey (IHDS), conducted in 2004–05 and wave 2, conducted in 2011–12. The results show that mortality between the two waves is strongly linked to the economic status of the household at wave 1 regardless of the choice of indicator for economic status. However, negative relationship between economic status and mortality for individuals already suffering from cardiovascular and metabolic conditions varies between three markers of economic status—income, consumption, and ownership of consumer durables—reflecting two-way relationship between short- and long-term markers of economic status and morbidity.

Suggested Citation

  • Barik, Debasis & Desai, Sonalde & Vanneman, Reeve, 2018. "Economic Status and Adult Mortality in India: Is the Relationship Sensitive to Choice of Indicators?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 176-187.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:103:y:2018:i:c:p:176-187
    DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2017.10.018
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    2. Sabyasachi Tripathi & Moinak Maiti, 2023. "Does urbanization improve health outcomes: a cross country level analysis," Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science, Springer, vol. 7(1), pages 277-316, March.
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    5. Deepika Kandpal & Dibyendu Maiti, 2022. "Social Identity, Local Neighbourhood Effect and Conspicuous Consumption: Evidence From India," Working papers 327, Centre for Development Economics, Delhi School of Economics.
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    7. Hossain, Babul & James, K.S., 2024. "Economics of widowhood mortality in adult women in India," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 340(C).
    8. Debasis Barik, 2025. "Risk of Developing NCDs in Later Life among the Overweight and Obese Women in India: Insights from a Nationally Representative Longitudinal Study," Margin: The Journal of Applied Economic Research, National Council of Applied Economic Research, vol. 19(2), pages 187-204, November.
    9. Aashish Gupta & Nikkil Sudharsanan, 2022. "Large and Persistent Life Expectancy Disparities between India's Social Groups," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 48(3), pages 863-882, September.
    10. Nagano, Hitoshi & Puppim de Oliveira, Jose A. & Barros, Allan Kardec & Costa Junior, Altair da Silva, 2020. "The ‘Heart Kuznets Curve’? Understanding the relations between economic development and cardiac conditions," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).

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