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Health Status Convergence at the Local Level: Empirical Evidence from Austria

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  • Martin Gächter
  • Engelbert Theurl

Abstract

Health is an important dimension of welfare comparisons across individuals, regions or states. In the following paper we focus on the question whether the health status between geographical subunits (local communities) converged/diverged in the time period 1969 - 2004 in Austria. We use age standardized mortality rates as indicators for the health status and analyze the convergence/divergence of overall mortality for (i) the whole population, (ii) females, (iii) males and (iv) the gender gap in overall mortality. Convergence/Divergence is studied by applying different concepts of cross-regional inequality (weighted standard deviation, coefficient of variation, Theil-Coefficient of inequality). Various econometric techniques (weighted OLS, Quantile Regression, Kendall's Rank Concordance) are used to test for absolute and conditional beta-convergence in mortality. We find mixed results for the applied inequality measures. Absolute and conditional beta-convergence are confirmed, both in weighted OLS as well as in Quantile Regression estimations, but we also find strong evidence for the existence of convergence clubs in mortality in Austria.

Suggested Citation

  • Martin Gächter & Engelbert Theurl, 2010. "Health Status Convergence at the Local Level: Empirical Evidence from Austria," Working Papers 2010-23, Faculty of Economics and Statistics, Universität Innsbruck, revised Mar 2011.
    • Handle: RePEc:inn:wpaper:2010-23
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    Cited by:

    1. Mukhopadhyay, Debabrata, 2015. "Regional disparities in health outcome indicators : A study across Indian states," MPRA Paper 66239, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. José Villaverde & Adolfo Maza & María Hierro, 2014. "Health care expenditure disparities in the European Union and underlying factors: a distribution dynamics approach," International Journal of Health Economics and Management, Springer, vol. 14(3), pages 251-268, September.
    3. Cavalieri, Marina & Ferrante, Livio, 2020. "Convergence, decentralization and spatial effects: An analysis of Italian regional health outcomes," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 124(2), pages 164-173.
    4. Florian Bonnet & Hippolyte d'Albis, 2020. "Spatial Inequality in Mortality in France over the Past Two Centuries," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 46(1), pages 145-168, March.
    5. Haan, Peter & Hammerschmid, Anna & Schmieder, Julia, 2019. "Mortality in midlife for subgroups in Germany," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 14(C).
    6. Brijesh C. Purohit, 2015. "Health Policy, Inequity and Convergence in India," Working Papers id:7155, eSocialSciences.
    7. Lukas Schrott & Martin Gaechter & Engelbert Theurl, 2015. "Regional Development in Advanced Countries: A Within-country Application of the Human Development Index for Austria," DANUBE: Law and Economics Review, European Association Comenius - EACO, issue 1, pages 1-23, March.
    8. Sulekha Hembram & Sushil Kr. Haldar, 2020. "Is India experiencing health convergence? An empirical analysis," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 53(4), pages 591-618, November.
    9. Luca Maria Pesando & GFC team, 2019. "Global Family Change: Persistent Diversity with Development," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 45(1), pages 133-168, March.
    10. Jenny Garcia, 2020. "Urban–rural differentials in Latin American infant mortality," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 42(8), pages 203-244.
    11. Rok Hrzic & Tobias Vogt & Helmut Brand & Fanny Janssen, 2021. "The Short-Term Effects of European Integration on Mortality Convergence: A Case Study of European Union’s 2004 Enlargement," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 37(4), pages 909-931, November.
    12. Fanny Janssen & Leo van Wissen & Joop de Beer & Anthe van den Hende, 2016. "Sigma and beta convergence in regional mortality: A case study of the Netherlands," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 35(4), pages 81-116.
    13. Kuropka Ireneusz & Krupowicz Joanna, 2021. "Spatial convergence of mortality in Poland," Bulletin of Geography. Socio-economic Series, Sciendo, vol. 54(54), pages 7-20, December.
    14. Brijesh C. Purohit, 2012. "Health Policy, Inequity and Convergence in India," Working Papers 2012-074, Madras School of Economics,Chennai,India.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    mortality; convergence; gender; health status; life expectancy; Austria;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health

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