What Determines the Individual Decision to Take Preventive Actions?
30 Pages Posted: 17 Mar 2008
Date Written: March 2008
Abstract
This paper aims to empirically understand individual decisions to take health related preventive actions. The model includes not only economic factors, but also social and medical characteristics. We find a positive impact of income and schooling in the probability of doing prevention. We also conclude that women do more prevention than men, and that smokers do less prevention than non smokers. This information is relevant for the decision maker, as identifying critical factors about prevention allows for a better programming and resource allocation for specific policies. There is no evidence to sustain the theoretical prediction of ex-ante moral hazard.
Keywords: prevention, health care, ex-ante moral hazard
JEL Classification: I12
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation