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Knowing Is Not Half the Battle: Impacts of the National Health Screening Program in Korea

Author

Listed:
  • Kim, Hyuncheol Bryant

    (Cornell University)

  • Lee, Suejin

    (Cornell University)

  • Lim, Wilfredo

    (Mathematica Policy Research)

Abstract

Health screening provides information on disease risk and diagnosis, but whether this promotes health is unclear. We estimate the impacts of the National Health Screening Program in Korea for diabetes, obesity, and hyperlipidemia. In this setting, information on disease risk and prompting for a secondary examination vary at different biomarker thresholds. We find evidence for increased diabetes medication and weight loss around the high risk threshold for diabetes, where information is combined with prompting for a secondary examination and subsequent medical treatment. However, we find no differences around other thresholds, where information is not combined with further intervention.

Suggested Citation

  • Kim, Hyuncheol Bryant & Lee, Suejin & Lim, Wilfredo, 2017. "Knowing Is Not Half the Battle: Impacts of the National Health Screening Program in Korea," IZA Discussion Papers 10650, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp10650
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Rebecca Mary Myerson & Darius Lakdawalla & Lisandro D. Colantonio & Monika Safford & David Meltzer, 2018. "Effects of Expanding Health Screening on Treatment - What Should We Expect? What Can We Learn?," NBER Working Papers 24347, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Qihui Chen & Juerong Huang & Yue Hu & Jiale Bao, 2025. "More information, better diet?―regression-discontinuity evidence from hypertension diagnoses in China," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 12(1), pages 1-17, December.
    3. Iizuka, Toshiaki & Nishiyama, Katsuhiko & Chen, Brian & Eggleston, Karen, 2021. "False alarm? Estimating the marginal value of health signals," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).
    4. Norman Bannenberg & Oddvar Førland & Tor Iversen & Martin Karlsson & Henning Øien, 2021. "Preventive Home Visits," American Journal of Health Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 7(4), pages 457-496.
    5. Rebecca Myerson & Darius Lakdawalla & Lisandro D. Colantonio & Monika Safford & David Meltzer, 2018. "Effects of expanding health screening on treatment – What should we expect? What can we learn?," Working Papers 2018-014, Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group.
    6. Tiantian Dai & Shenyi Jiang & Xiangbo Liu & Ang Sun, 2022. "The effects of a hypertension diagnosis on health behaviors: A two‐dimensional regression discontinuity analysis," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(4), pages 574-596, April.

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    JEL classification:

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

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