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The absolute health income hypothesis revisited: a semiparametric quantile regression approach

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  • Yiguo Sun
  • Thanasis Stengos

Abstract

This paper uses the 1998-99 Canadian National Population Health Survey (NPHS) data to examine the health-income relationship that underlies the absolute income hypothesis. To allow for nonlinearity and data heterogeneity, we use a partially linear semiparametric quantile regression model. Among more than dozen of socioeconomic variables, we find that family income, age and the food security status are the most important factors in explaining an individual’s overall functional health. The “absolute income hypothesis” is partially true; the negative aging effects appear more pronounced for the ill-healthy population than for the healthy population and when annual income is below 40,000 Canadian dollars.
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  • Yiguo Sun & Thanasis Stengos, 2008. "The absolute health income hypothesis revisited: a semiparametric quantile regression approach," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 35(2), pages 395-412, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:empeco:v:35:y:2008:i:2:p:395-412
    DOI: 10.1007/s00181-007-0164-z
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    Cited by:

    1. Thanasis Stengos & Ximing Wu, 2010. "Information-Theoretic Distribution Test with Application to Normality," Econometric Reviews, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(3), pages 307-329.
    2. Ignacio Moral-Arce & Stefan Sperlich & Ana Fernández-Saínz & Maria Roca, 2012. "Trends in the Gender Pay Gap in Spain: A Semiparametric Analysis," Journal of Labor Research, Springer, vol. 33(2), pages 173-195, June.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Absolute income hypothesis; Partially linear quantile regression model; C14; C51; I12;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C14 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Semiparametric and Nonparametric Methods: General
    • C51 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling - - - Model Construction and Estimation
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior

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