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The Effects of Spousal Health on the Decision to Smoke: Evidence on Consumption Externalities, Altruism and Learning Within the Household

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  • Ahmed Khwaja

  • Frank Sloan

  • Sukyung Chung

Abstract

Married individuals are healthier than single individuals though the reasons are not well understood. Individuals with spouses/or partners are less likely to smoke. We explore the relationship between health and marital status by analyzing three potential channels through which marriage affects smoking, i.e., consumption externalities (one spouse's smoking affects the other spouse's welfare), altruism (one spouse reduces smoking in response to the other spouse's bad health), and learning about risks of smoking from the health experience of one's spouse. We find spousal health does not affect smoking due to altruism or learning within the household but do find evidence for consumption externalities. Copyright Springer Science + Business Media, Inc. 2006

Suggested Citation

  • Ahmed Khwaja & Frank Sloan & Sukyung Chung, 2006. "The Effects of Spousal Health on the Decision to Smoke: Evidence on Consumption Externalities, Altruism and Learning Within the Household," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 32(1), pages 17-35, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jrisku:v:32:y:2006:i:1:p:17-35
    DOI: 10.1007/s10797-006-6664-5
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    Cited by:

    1. Ali Palali & Jan C. Van ours, 2017. "Love Conquers all but Nicotine: Spousal Peer Effects on the Decision to Quit Smoking," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(12), pages 1710-1727, December.
    2. Eiji Yamamura, 2014. "Smokers’ Sexual Behavior and Their Satisfaction with Family Life," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 118(3), pages 1229-1247, September.
    3. G. Miller & Yuriy Pylypchuk, 2014. "Marital Status, Spousal Characteristics, and the Use of Preventive Care," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 35(3), pages 323-338, September.
    4. Khwaja, Ahmed & Sloan, Frank & Chung, Sukyung, 2006. "Learning about individual risk and the decision to smoke," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 24(4), pages 683-699, July.
    5. Antoine Marsaudon & Lise Rochaix, 2010. "Impact of acute health shocks on cigarette consumption: A combined DiD-matching strategy to address endogeneity issues in the French Gazel panel data," Working Papers halshs-01626187, HAL.
    6. Joachim Marti & Michael R. Richards, 2017. "Smoking Response to Health and Medical Spending Changes and the Role of Insurance," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(3), pages 305-320, March.
    7. Cai, Yongxia & Shaw, W. Douglass & Wu, Ximing, 2008. "Risk Perception and Altruistic Averting Behavior: Removing Arsenic in Drinking Water," 2008 Annual Meeting, July 27-29, 2008, Orlando, Florida 6149, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    8. Kokot, Johanna, 2017. "Does a spouse's health shock influence the partner's risk attitudes?," Ruhr Economic Papers 707, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    9. Antoine Marsaudon & Lise Rochaix, 2017. "Impact of acute health shocks on cigarette consumption
      [Impact d'un choc de santé sur la consommation de cigarette]      ," PSE Working Papers halshs-01626024, HAL.
    10. Zang, Emma, 2020. "Spillover effects of a husband's retirement on a woman's health: Evidence from urban China," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 245(C).
    11. Jérôme Adda, 2007. "Behavior towards health risks: An empirical study using the “Mad Cow” crisis as an experiment," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 35(3), pages 285-305, December.
    12. Mariana Conte Grand & Vanesa D´Elia, 2008. "Self-assessed health as a key determinant of lifestyles: An application to tobacco consumption in Argentina," CEMA Working Papers: Serie Documentos de Trabajo. 375, Universidad del CEMA.
    13. Biroli, Pietro & Zwyssig, Laura, 2021. "Moral Hazard Heterogeneity: Genes and Health Insurance Influence Smoking after a Health Shock," IZA Discussion Papers 14176, IZA Network @ LISER.
    14. Palali, Ali & van Ours, Jan, 2015. "Love Conquers All but Nicotine : Spousal Peer Effects on the Decision to Quit Smoking," Discussion Paper 2015-048, Tilburg University, Center for Economic Research.
    15. Ali Palali & Jan C. Van ours, 2017. "Love Conquers all but Nicotine: Spousal Peer Effects on the Decision to Quit Smoking," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(12), pages 1710-1727, December.
    16. Kerry Anne McGeary, 2013. "Spousal Effects in Smoking Cessation: Matching, Learning, or Bargaining?," NBER Working Papers 19274, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    17. Canta Chiara & Dubois Pierre, 2015. "Smoking within the Household: Spousal Peer Effects and Children’s Health Implications," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 15(4), pages 1939-1973, October.
    18. Tianjun Feng & L. Robin Keller & Liangyan Wang & Yitong Wang, 2010. "Product Quality Risk Perceptions and Decisions: Contaminated Pet Food and Lead‐Painted Toys," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(10), pages 1572-1589, October.
    19. W. Viscusi & William Evans, 2006. "Behavioral Probabilities," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 32(1), pages 5-15, January.

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