|
on Health Economics |
| By: | Sarah Miller; Elizabeth Rhodes; Alexander W. Bartik; David E. Broockman; Patrick K. Krause; Eva Vivalt |
| Abstract: | This paper provides new evidence on the causal relationship between income and health by studying a randomized experiment in which 1, 000 low-income adults in the United States received $1, 000 per month for three years, with 2, 000 control participants receiving $50 over that same period. The cash transfer resulted in large but short-lived improvements in stress and food security, greater use of hospital and emergency department care, and increased medical spending of about $20 per month in the treatment relative to the control group. Our results also suggest that the use of other office-based care—particularly dental care—may have increased as a result of the transfer. However, we find no effect of the transfer across several measures of physical health as captured by multiple well-validated survey measures and biomarkers derived from blood draws. We can rule out even very small improvements in physical health and the effect that would be implied by the cross-sectional correlation between income and health lies well outside our confidence intervals. We also find that the transfer did not improve mental health after the first year and by year 2 we can again reject very small improvements. We also find precise null effects on self-reported access to health care, physical activity, sleep, and several other measures related to preventive care and health behaviors. Our results imply that more targeted interventions may be more effective at reducing health inequality between high- and low-income individuals, at least for the population and time frame that we study. |
| JEL: | I12 I14 I3 |
| Date: | 2024–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:32711 |
| By: | Vinish Shrestha (Department of Economics, Towson University) |
| Abstract: | This study investigates geographical disparities in the implementation and effectiveness of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) by linking them to the historical legacy of racial oppression in the American South. Using a cross-border regression discontinuity design that leverages variations in racial oppression intensity, we find that bordering counties in states with less oppressive regime experienced significantly greater benefits from the ACA compared to neighboring counties in more oppressive states. This divergence in insurance outcomes, which did not exist before the ACA, underscores the influence of historical racial regimes on contemporary policy efficacy. Furthermore, we demonstrate that political preferences from the Jim Crow era are correlated with the observed variations in ACA effectiveness. Our findings suggest that the racialization of the ACA is deeply rooted in the historical context of racial oppression in the American South. |
| Keywords: | ACA, Oppressive racial regime, Disparity, American South. |
| JEL: | I10 I14 D02 B15 |
| Date: | 2024–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:tow:wpaper:2024-09 |
| By: | Jessen, Lasse J.; Köhne, Sebastian; Nüß, Patrick; Ruhose, Jens |
| Abstract: | Using survey experiments in the United States and Germany with 12, 000 participants, we examine perceptions of life expectancy inequality between rich and poor people. The life expectancy of the poor is underestimated more than that of the rich, leading to exaggerated perceptions of inequality in both countries. Receiving accurate information narrows concerns about this inequality. However, the impact of information on policy demand is limited because support for policies addressing life expectancy for the poor is consistently high, regardless of varying perceptions of inequality. We conclude that there is strong and unconditional public support for health equity policies. |
| Keywords: | socioeconomic inequality in life expectancy, health care, information treatment, survey experiment |
| JEL: | C90 D71 D83 I14 I18 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:cauewp:300522 |
| By: | Nicodemo, Catia (University of Oxford); Nicoletti, Cheti (University of York); Vidiella-Martin, Joaquim (University of Oxford) |
| Abstract: | Does deferring school entry for children born just before the enrollment cutoff date improve their mental well-being? We address this question using administrative data on prescriptions for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in England. Higher ADHD rates among early school starters are often attributed to a peer-comparison bias caused by differences in relative age among classmates. However, previous studies do not consider other potential underlying mechanisms. By adopting a more comprehensive framework, we can confirm that relative age is the primary driver of the gap in ADHD rate in the long term. Furthermore, we find that such a long-term gap is driven by first-time prescriptions between ages 5 and 8, which is a critical period when the accuracy of ADHD diagnosis is most important. Based on these findings, our policy recommendations include sorting children by age and refining diagnostic decision-making in early primary school. |
| Keywords: | children, mental health, school starting age, ADHD, England, NHS |
| JEL: | I10 I20 J13 |
| Date: | 2024–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17091 |
| By: | Flynn, James (Miami University) |
| Abstract: | This paper uses the implementation of a privately funded family planning program in Colorado to demonstrate that expanding access to long-acting reversible contraceptives to lower income women creates positive selection in the health of the children being born, reducing the rates of extremely preterm births and infant mortality. My most conservative estimates suggest reductions of 1.1 extremely preterm births and 0.9 infant deaths per 1, 000 live births, with the largest reduction in deaths due to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. This suggests that expanding contraceptive access could help close the infant mortality gap between the U.S. and other leading economies. |
| Keywords: | contraceptive access, infant mortality, preterm birth, family planning |
| JEL: | J13 I18 I12 |
| Date: | 2024–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17146 |
| By: | Akira Kawamura (Faculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University) |
| Abstract: | This study examines the causal impact of the local unemployment rate on child death cases due to unintentional drowning – a common consequence of child neglect – using vital statistics from Japan. We use predicted overall and gender-specific local unemployment rates derived from a shift-share research design, rather than the raw local unemployment rates. Our estimation results reveal that a one-percent increase in the overall local unemployment rate correlates with a 7.13% rise in child death cases due to unintentional drowning. When analyzing gender-specific unemployment rates, we find that only increases in female unemployment rates are associated with an uptick in tragic cases. Heterogeneity analysis shows that the impact of female local unemployment rate is more pronounced in regions characterized by lower socioeconomic status, higher proportions of younger parents, a greater prevalence of single-parent households, and fewer public resources. Furthermore, our findings suggest that younger single parents are particularly susceptible to the mental health impacts of increases in female local unemployment rates. |
| Keywords: | child neglect; child death cases; unemployment rate; shift-share research design |
| Date: | 2024–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wap:wpaper:2405 |
| By: | Nicole Black (Monash University, Monash Business School, Centre for Health Economics); David W. Johnston (Monash University, Monash Business School, Centre for Health Economics); Michael A. Shields (Monash University, Monash Business School, Centre for Health Economics); Trong-Anh Trinh (Monash University, Monash Business School, Centre for Health Economics) |
| Abstract: | We study the extent of horizontal inequity in children’s mental healthcare use in Australia, where universal insurance aims to provide equitable access to needed treatment, regardless of ability to pay. We use linked longitudinal survey data and administrative records that measure the need for mental healthcare – via screening questionnaires and general practitioner (GP) diagnosis – and use of mental health professionals and medication. Using between- and within-child approaches, we find that conditional on need, children from lower income families are significantly less likely to receive services from clinical psychologists than children from higher income households. However, we see little evidence of income inequities in receiving mental health services from GPs or general psychologists. We show that differences in out-of-pocket fees are a likely explanation. The findings highlight that specific support to low-income families is needed to reduce inequities in accessing a complete range of mental health services. |
| Keywords: | child mental health, mental health treatment, unmet mental health need, horizontal inequity, income inequity |
| JEL: | I12 I14 |
| Date: | 2024–08 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mhe:chemon:2024-12 |
| By: | Charles Yuji Horioka; Emin Gahramanov; Xueli Tang |
| Abstract: | The purpose of this paper is to conduct a theoretical and empirical analysis of the nexus between long-term care insurance (LTCI), formal care, informal (family) care, and bequests. In our empirical analysis, we use micro data from the Japan Household Panel Survey on Consumer Preferences and Satisfaction (JHPS-CPS), formerly known as the Preference Parameter Study, conducted by Osaka University. Japan is an interesting case to analyze because a public LTCI system was introduced there in 2000. Our analysis shows that, in the case of Japan, if parents are eligible for public LTCI benefits, their children will be less likely to be their primary caregiver and that this, in turn, will reduce their children’s perceived likelihood of receiving a bequest from them. This result implies that bequests are selfishly or strategically motivated (i.e., that parents leave bequests to their children in order to elicit care from them) and that the introduction of a public LTCI system will reduce the likelihood of children providing care to their parents and through this channel reduce their perceived likelihood of receiving a bequest from them. |
| Date: | 2024–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:dpr:wpaper:1250 |
| By: | Pablo Garcia Sanchez; Luca Marchiori; Olivier Pierrard |
| Abstract: | We propose a two-period overlapping generation economy that incorporates health investment in preventive measures during youth. These preventive measures contribute to increased longevity and reduced frailty, which influence old-age care costs. As these costs are funded through pay-as-you-go social security contributions, investment in prevention creates externalities for the next generation. We analytically determine the optimal level of prevention and characterize the optimal health policy that a government should implement to achieve it. Our findings reveal that the optimal subsidy to healthcare exceeds the optimal subsidy to preventive measures. Furthermore, both subsidies are inversely related to the generosity of the public pension scheme. We explore the robustness of our results through various extensions and demonstrate their consistency with several patterns observed in cross-country OECD data. |
| Keywords: | Health, Prevention, Optimal Ramsey policy, Overlapping generations |
| JEL: | H23 I18 O41 |
| Date: | 2024–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bcl:bclwop:bclwp186 |
| By: | Marion, Justin; West, Jeremy |
| Abstract: | Governments often privatize the administration of regulations to third-party specialists paid for by the regulated parties. We study how the resulting conflict of interest can have unintended consequences for the distributional impacts of regulation. In Massachusetts, the party responsible for hazardous waste contamination must hire a licensed contractor to quantify the environmental severity. We find that contractors’ evaluations favor their clients, exhibiting substantial score bunching just below thresholds that determine government oversight of the remediation. Client favoritism is more pronounced in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods and is associated with inferior remediation quality, highlighting a novel channel for inequities in pollution exposure. (JEL D63, J15, K32, L51, Q53, R23) |
| Keywords: | Economics, Applied Economics, Health Disparities, Minority Health, Social Determinants of Health, Behavioral and Social Science, Applied economics |
| Date: | 2024–07–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:ucscec:qt3d68r0jt |
| By: | Luong, Tuan Anh; Nguyen, Manh-Hung |
| Abstract: | In this paper, we analyse the impacts of climate change, in particular greenhouse gases on people’s life quality in general, and physical and mental health in particular. These outcomes are taken from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe which took place from 2004 to 2019. We provide a wealth of evidence that shows the adverse impacts of greenhouse gases emission. For instance, doubling the amount of carbon dioxide emission would reduce the quality of life of a person aged 50 by 3.8 percent. The effects on mental health are more noticeable than those on physical health. These effects are, however, not constant across ages. Middle-aged people are more vulnerable than older ones. |
| Keywords: | Climate change; greenhouse gases; carbon dioxide emission; methane emission; nitrous oxide emission; life quality; physical health; mental health. |
| Date: | 2024–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:tse:wpaper:129467 |
| By: | Cozzi, Guido (University of St. Gallen); Mantovan, Noemi (University of Liverpool); Sauer, Robert M. (Royal Holloway, University of London) |
| Abstract: | We present a dynamic life-cycle model of women's labor supply, marriage, and fertility choices that explicitly incorporates mental and physical health. Correlated mental and physical health production functions are simultaneously estimated, including the endogenous decisions to seek psychotherapy and smoke cigarettes as health accumulation factors. The model is estimated by the Simulated Method of Moments with Indirect Inference using data from the British Household Panel Study. Results indicate that mental health has a stronger impact on labor supply than physical health. At the same time, estimates show that working part-time and full-time aect both mental and physical health. Moreover, we nd dierences in the interaction of the two forms of health on other life dynamics, with better mental health having stronger impacts on marriage and fertility outcomes than physical health. Counterfactual simulations reveal that not only permanent, but also temporary shocks to health and employment have long-lasting eects on life decisions, life satisfaction, and income due to their interaction with fertility. Finally, policy experiments show that lower costs for psychotherapy and increased costs of cigarettes would substantially increase fertility but decrease employment, while a decrease in childcare costs for employed women would increase both fertility and labor supply, supporting women's overall health. |
| Keywords: | female labor supply, marriage, fertility, career, family, mental health, physical health, psychotherapy, smoking, discrete choice dynamic programming models, structural estimation, simulated method of moments, indirect inference |
| JEL: | I12 J12 J13 J16 J22 |
| Date: | 2024–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17143 |
| By: | Haering, Alexander; Kaeding, Matthias; Werbeck, Anna |
| Abstract: | We study the regional distribution of primary care physicians in Germany to learn about the extent and possible reasons of geographic maldistribution. For this aim, we apply a greedy capacitated algorithm on very fine spatial data. We compare this reference allocation of primary care physicians to the status quo. Our results suggest that Germany has a shortage of primary care physicians of 6% which is particularly evident in rural areas. Some municipality characteristics like purchasing power and number of schools can explain parts of the difference in the number of physicians between cities and rural areas. Large parts, however, remain unexplained. |
| Abstract: | Wir untersuchen die regionale Verteilung der Hausärzte in Deutschland, um das Ausmaß und mögliche Gründe geografischer Ungleichverteilung zu verstehen. Zu diesem Zweck wenden wir einen Greedy-Algorithmus auf sehr feine räumliche Daten an. Wir vergleichen diese Referenzallokation der Hausärzte mit dem Status quo. Unsere Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass in Deutschland ein Mangel an Hausärzten von 6% besteht, der insbesondere ländliche Gebiete betrifft. Einige Gemeindecharakteristika wie Kaufkraft und Anzahl der Schulen können Teile des Unterschieds in der Anzahl der Ärzte zwischen Städten und ländlichen Gebieten erklären. Große Teile bleiben jedoch durch die betrachteten Charakteristika unerklärt. |
| Keywords: | Health and inequality, optimization techniques, regional economics |
| JEL: | I14 C61 R10 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:rwirep:300565 |
| By: | Lin, Zhuoer (Yale University); Chen, Xi (Yale University) |
| Abstract: | Growing evidence suggests that place of birth (PoB) and related circumstances may have long- lasting and multiplicative contributions to various later-life outcomes. This study investigates the extent to which PoB contributes to a wide range of domains of later-life cognitive function. Leveraging a nationally representative sample of older Americans from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), cognitive function is assessed in Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol (HCAP). Regression-based Shapley decompositions are employed to quantify the contribution of PoB. We show that PoB significantly contributes to all assessed cognitive domains including memory, executive function, language and fluency, visuospatial function, orientation, and general cognitive function. Geographic disparities in cognitive function are evident across PoB, with individuals born in US southern states and foreign-born individuals performing worse than those born in other states. Overall, state of birth accounts for 2.2-9.7% of the total variance in cognition after controlling for age, sex, and race/ethnicity, which declines to 2.0-7.0% after further controlling for comprehensive socioeconomic and health factors over the life course, and are robust to the control of current state of residence. Addressing these disparities requires more equalized place-based policies, resources, and early-life environments to promote health equity over the life course. |
| Keywords: | geographic disparities, health equity, cognitive domains, life course, early-life circumstances |
| JEL: | I14 I10 J13 J14 H75 |
| Date: | 2024–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17147 |
| By: | David Pérez-Mesa (University of La Laguna, CEDESOG and EQUALITAS); Ã ngel S. Marrero (University of La Laguna, CEDESOG and EQUALITAS) |
| Abstract: | We apply the theory of inequality of opportunity to examine health inequality among adults in Spain. Using a survey module conducted by the Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas (CIS) in 2017, we assess the role played by and disentangle the contributions of circumstances, efforts and lifestyles, and demographic variables in explaining adult health inequality. Additionally, we analyse the mediating role of individual education in the relationship between circumstances and health. Our findings underscore the significant relevance of unfair factors (circumstances) and demographics in the generation of adult health inequality, as opposed to the minimal contribution of fair factors (efforts and lifestyles). Furthermore, we show that education significantly influences health, mitigating the impact of certain circumstances and serving as a transmission channel for others. In light of these findings, individuals' efforts and lifestyles alone are insufficient to counterbalance unfair circumstances beyond their control. Therefore, improving circumstances and early-life factors, or reducing their impact on health through the implementation of compensatory policies, is essential for reducing health inequality and promoting equal opportunities for inclusive development. |
| Keywords: | Adult health, Health inequality, Inequality of opportunity, Spain |
| JEL: | D6 I14 I18 I30 |
| Date: | 2024–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:inq:inqwps:ecineq2024-671 |
| By: | Richard Layard |
| Abstract: | Wellbeing should be the overarching aim of government. Assessing policies by showing the wellbeing benefit relative to cost would mean mental health becoming a top priority for policy development. |
| Keywords: | Election 2024, Election2024, Wellbeing, UK Economy |
| Date: | 2024–06–28 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cep:cepeap:063 |
| By: | Shah, Arpita; Karne, Dr. Manisha |
| Abstract: | India has achieved significant improvement in indicators such as Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR), Institutional Deliveries, Skilled Attendance at birth, Ante-Natal and Post-Natal care since its independence. However, several challenges constrain maternal and reproductive health in India. Of them, three important ones are discussed in this review paper: spatial inequity, their diverse underlying causalities, and the quality of care. India cannot actualise the true spirit of ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047 if the condition of its women, and especially that of mothers is not improved. Policy suggestions that enable such an improvement have been elaborated in this paper through demand augmentation and supply expansion lens. |
| Keywords: | Maternal and Reproductive Health, Spatial Inequity, India |
| JEL: | I14 I18 |
| Date: | 2024–07–23 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:121539 |
| By: | Baertsch, Laurenz (OECD); Sandner, Malte (Technische Hochschule Nürnberg) |
| Abstract: | Worldwide governments discuss how to increase maternal labor market participation and to reduce the child penalty, i.e. labor market earnings losses after child birth. This study analyses the long run effects of a German paid parental leave reform, which aims to increase maternal labour market participation and to reduce the child penalty by financially incentivizing maternal part-time work during the two years following child birth. Using German social security records, we exploit the fact that only mothers whose child is born in or after July 2015 are eligible for the new part-time PL option in a Difference-in-Differences strategy. We find that the policy increased the probability that high income mothers return to work during the first year after child birth by 2.1 - 2.8pp (≈ 15 - 20%). However, the policy does not impact maternal employment along the intensive margin (part-time or full-time work) in the long run, leaving maternal labor market participation and the child penalty unaffected. |
| Keywords: | paid parental leave, child penalty, part-time incentives, public child care |
| JEL: | J13 J16 J18 J22 J48 |
| Date: | 2024–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17109 |
| By: | Mathias Jensen; Abigail Adams; Barbara Petrongolo |
| Abstract: | We use rich population-level administrative data from Denmark to develop new facts about the relationship between the timing and spacing of births and labor market outcomes. We show that there is substantial heterogeneity in the age at first birth across maternal skill levels. The spacing of pregnancies is also tighter on average for highly skilled mothers, resulting in them experiencing higher levels of fertility and time on parental leave in the years immediately after first birth. We estimate event studies by skill level and find that much of the child penalties in earnings and participation in the 5 years following first birth can be explained by incapacitation effects from parental leave around subsequent births, especially for the highly educated. |
| Date: | 2024–07–22 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:oxf:wpaper:1048 |
| By: | Michael Alexeev (Department of Economics, Indiana University); Ivan Dedyukhin (Department of Economics, Indiana University); Leonid Polishchuk (Department of Economics, Indiana University) |
| Abstract: | A common cause of market failures is asymmetric information. For this reason, the reliance on market incentives and signals requires that quality of goods and services is properly observable and verifiable. This requirement is hard to meet in the case of credence goods, including most social services, which is a well-known reason for caution evaluating the providers of these services. In such environment, nonprofit providers can offer additional quality assurance compared to for-profit entities. When quality becomes better observable and verifiable, and hence could earn a market premium, market incentives are closer aligned with social welfare, and the quality gap expected between nonprofit and for-profit provision is likely to narrow. We explore this conjecture theoretically and empirically, using in the empirical part the case of US nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic supplied new tangible and publicly observable nursing home performance measures such as infection and death rates among residents. These measures could serve as care quality indicators, revealing aspects and attributes of the nursing home care that remained hidden before the pandemic. The data reveal significant initial gaps between for-profit and nonprofit nursing homes in COVID-19 infection rates. However, in the ensuing catching-up process triggered by increased transparency, these gaps steadily declined, eventually leading to statistical parity between two types of ownership. We explore the role of local market structure in the adjustment of nursing home industry to the pandemic; retroactively evaluate the reliability of the official ranking system in predicting nursing homes’ performance; and look for evidence of sustainable learning-by-doing effect of the pandemic. |
| Date: | 2024–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:inu:caeprp:2024006 |
| By: | Rocco Caferra (Unitelma Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.); Giuseppe Di Liddo (University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy.); Andrea Morone (University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy.); Fabrizio Striani (University of Salento, Lecce, Italy) |
| Abstract: | Before the COVID-19 emergency, telemedicine in the United States was regulated by stringent rules set by the federal and states governments. The pandemic led to significant changes in telemedicine policy, coverage, and implementation. The federal government has loosened restrictions on telemedicine, allowing beneficiaries from any location to access services from their homes. State governments have focused on expanding telemedicine in their Medicaid programs and lowering provider licensing regulations. Despite these advancements, inconsistent state, and federal reimbursement policies, as well as different policies for various telemedicine services, might still hinder telemedicine implementation. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the effect of such policy changes on the diffusion of telemedicine using Household Pulse Survey Data provided by the US Census Bureau. |
| Keywords: | Digital Health Services, Telemedicine, Policy, Social Acceptance, Technology Adoption |
| JEL: | I12 I13 I18 |
| Date: | 2024–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ipu:wpaper:114 |
| By: | Allen, Sophie |
| Abstract: | Why do covid-19 vaccine skeptics take the vaccine while living in jail? This question speaks to a broader issue of how carceral settings influence people’s perceptions towards receiving health interventions while incarcerated. Drawing on 73 in-depth interviews with people living in one Bay Area, California jail, this paper explains why people who are skeptical about the covid-19 vaccine’s safety and efficacy nevertheless accepted a dose while living in jail: as strategic response to carceral logic. According to interview participants, jail management rewards good inmates—people who are compliant with the jail’s vague rules, who are needless to the point of near-invisibility, and who are even helpful to penal management—with basic resources in a setting of extreme deprivation. For vaccine skeptics, taking the covid-19 vaccine is an attempt at demonstrating manageability under these conditions, which could potentially lead them to access to resources within the jail like food, movement, and showers. These findings have implications for understanding how carceral settings and their logics influence how people living inside receive health and medical interventions more broadly. On the one hand, compliance with carceral logic can encourage the uptake of beneficial programmatic health interventions like vaccination; on the other hand, the logic encourages medical avoidance for individualized, resource-cumbersome health care and reproduces health inequality. |
| Date: | 2024–07–11 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:socarx:fg4za |
| By: | Gokben Aydilek (Department of Economics, Gebze Technical University); Deniz Karaoglan (Department of Economics, Gebze Technical University) |
| Abstract: | The emergence of COVID-19 required the Turkish government to implement various measures. Given a specific focus on the elderly as the high-risk population, seniors above 65 were imposed a strict curfew for a prolonged period. While social distancing measures are crucial for curbing the transmission, their unintended consequences, particularly on vulnerable populations, require exploration. This paper aims to analyse how those age-targeted restrictions affected the chronic health conditions of seniors, with a special focus on cardiovascular and metabolic diseases which are the main factors of mortality (e.g., coronary heart disease, chest pain, diabetes, obesity, etc). To address the potential bias arising from gender-specific mortality rates due to the pandemic, we focus exclusively on senior women. Employing a difference-in-differences (DiD) methodology, our results indicate that strict curfew on the elderly cause an escalation in chronic health problems. Morbidity of coronary heart diseases is notably higher among the affected women. In addition, they experience a significant increase in BMI and become more physically and mentally dependent in their daily lives. Highlighting the potential adverse effects of curfews on senior health, we emphasise the need for a more balanced strategy that prioritises both the control of the pandemic and the well-being of high-risk populations. |
| Keywords: | COVID-19, lockdown, health, elderly people, cardiovascular disease, metabolic disease, difference-in-differences |
| JEL: | I12 I18 |
| Date: | 2024–06–28 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:geb:wpaper:2024-01 |