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The Effect of Female and Male Health on Economic Growth: Cross-Country Evidence within a Production Function Framework

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  • Gazi M. Hassan

    (University of Waikato)

  • Arusha Cooray

    (University of Nottingham, Malaysia)

  • Mark J. Holmes

    (University of Waikato)

Abstract

Adopting a production function based approach, we model the role of health as a regular factor of production on economic growth, and use disaggregate measures of male and female health capital using principal components analysis. Allowing for the dynamics of TFP to be embedded in the production function, we estimate it both in levels and in growth rates to distinguish between long- and short-run effects. We use appropriate panel cointegration methodology to control for endogeneity, cross-sectional dependence and heterogeneity. Our main finding is that while male and female health capital stock has a significantly positive effect on level of output in the long-run, changes in gender disaggregated health capital has a negative or insignificant effect on output growth in the short-run.

Suggested Citation

  • Gazi M. Hassan & Arusha Cooray & Mark J. Holmes, 2015. "The Effect of Female and Male Health on Economic Growth: Cross-Country Evidence within a Production Function Framework," Working Papers in Economics 15/03, University of Waikato.
    • Handle: RePEc:wai:econwp:15/03
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    2. Masagus M. Ridhwan & Peter Nijkamp & Affandi Ismail & Luthfi M.Irsyad, 2022. "The effect of health on economic growth: a meta-regression analysis," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 63(6), pages 3211-3251, December.
    3. Dinda, Soumyananda, 2016. "Interrelationships between Social and human Capital, and Economic Growth," MPRA Paper 89646, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 2017.
    4. Nepp, Alexander & Okhrin, Ostap & Egorova, Julia & Dzhuraeva, Zarnigor & Zykov, Alexander, 2022. "What threatens stock markets more - The coronavirus or the hype around it?," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 519-539.
    5. Bidisha Mandal & Raymond G. Batina & Wen Chen, 2018. "Do gender gaps in education and health affect economic growth? A cross‐country study from 1975 to 2010," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(5), pages 877-886, May.
    6. Bidzha, Mashudu Lucas & Ngepah, Nicholas & Greyling, Talita, 2024. "The impact of antiretroviral treatment on the relationship between HIV/AIDS and economic growth," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 368-387.
    7. Aylar Jalili & Hossein Panahi & Sakineh Sojoodi, 2022. "Investigating the causal relationship between woman's health and economic growth in groups D8 and G7 countries," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 56(1), pages 359-374, February.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    health and economic development; economic growth; endogeneity; panel data; TFP convergence; economics of gender;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F15 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Economic Integration
    • O47 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Empirical Studies of Economic Growth; Aggregate Productivity; Cross-Country Output Convergence
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination

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