Biased health perceptions and risky health behaviors : theory and evidence

Arni, Patrick; Dragone, Davide; Goette, Lorenz; Ziebarth, Nicolas

doi:10.1016/j.jhealeco.2021.102425

Publication type:	Article in scientific journal
Type of review:	Peer review (publication)
Title:	Biased health perceptions and risky health behaviors : theory and evidence
Authors:	Arni, Patrick Dragone, Davide Goette, Lorenz Ziebarth, Nicolas
et. al:	No
DOI:	10.1016/j.jhealeco.2021.102425
Published in:	Journal of Health Economics
Volume(Issue):	76
Issue:	102425
Issue Date:	22-Jan-2021
Publisher / Ed. Institution:	Elsevier
ISSN:	0167-6296 1879-1646
Language:	English
Subjects:	Health bias; Health perception; Subjective belief; Overconfidence; Overoptimism; Risky behavior; Obesity; Smoking; Exercising; SF12; SAH; BASE-II; SOEP-IP
Subject (DDC):	362.1041: Health economics
Abstract:	This paper investigates the role of biased health perceptions as a potential driving force of risky health behaviors. We define absolute and relative health perception biases, illustrate their measurement in surveys and provide evidence on their relevance. Next, we decompose the theoretical effect into its extensive and intensive margin: When the extensive margin dominates, people (wrongly) believe they are healthy enough to “afford” unhealthy behavior. Finally, using three population surveys, we provide robust empirical evidence that respondents who overestimate their health are less likely to exercise and sleep enough, but more likely to eat unhealthily and drink alcohol daily.
URI:	https://digitalcollection.zhaw.ch/handle/11475/29846
Fulltext version:	Published version
License (according to publishing contract):	Licence according to publishing contract
Departement:	School of Management and Law
Organisational Unit:	Center for Labor, Digital and Regional Economics (CLDR)
Appears in collections:	Publikationen School of Management and Law

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Arni, P., Dragone, D., Goette, L., & Ziebarth, N. (2021). Biased health perceptions and risky health behaviors : theory and evidence. Journal of Health Economics, 76(102425). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhealeco.2021.102425

Arni, P. et al. (2021) ‘Biased health perceptions and risky health behaviors : theory and evidence’, Journal of Health Economics, 76(102425). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhealeco.2021.102425.

P. Arni, D. Dragone, L. Goette, and N. Ziebarth, “Biased health perceptions and risky health behaviors : theory and evidence,” Journal of Health Economics, vol. 76, no. 102425, Jan. 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2021.102425.

ARNI, Patrick, Davide DRAGONE, Lorenz GOETTE und Nicolas ZIEBARTH, 2021. Biased health perceptions and risky health behaviors : theory and evidence. Journal of Health Economics. 22 Januar 2021. Bd. 76, Nr. 102425. DOI 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2021.102425

Arni, Patrick, Davide Dragone, Lorenz Goette, and Nicolas Ziebarth. 2021. “Biased Health Perceptions and Risky Health Behaviors : Theory and Evidence.” Journal of Health Economics 76 (102425). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhealeco.2021.102425.

Arni, Patrick, et al. “Biased Health Perceptions and Risky Health Behaviors : Theory and Evidence.” Journal of Health Economics, vol. 76, no. 102425, Jan. 2021, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhealeco.2021.102425.