Physical Activity and Ex Ante Moral Hazard in Health Insurance: Evidence for Brazil
International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics 119S3 (2012) S851–S852
Posted: 29 Nov 2012
Date Written: August 28, 2012
Abstract
Objectives: To estimate the determinants of participation in physical activity or sport of women between 20 and 40 years, the South and Northeast regions of Brazil.
Basic economic theory suggests that health insurance coverage may cause a reduction in prevention activities. This implies that receipt of insurance will result in an increase in unhealthy behaviors like smoking and drinking. This is often referred to as ex ante moral hazard. Many empirical studies have yet to provide evidence to support this prediction. However, in other insurance contexts that involve adverse health events, evidence of ex ante moral hazard is more consistent. In this paper, we also analyzed of the effect of health insurance on health behaviors, specifically in sporting participation.
Materials: Using data from a national household survey, the Pesquisa Nacional de Amostra de Domicilios (PNAD) de 2008 we analysed the determinants of sporting participation for women of 20 at 40 years old, in Brazil. IN PNAD 2008 were interviewed 391,000 men and women of all Brazil.
Methods: In the estimation of the determinants of physical activity and health insurance was employed a logistic regression model. The variables explanatory used were: schooling, age, colour/race, travel time to work, participation in the labour market, household income per capita, mother of a child up to 5 years of age, number of children, self-assessment of health status and health plan(insurance) ownership.
Results: On average, 28% of women interviewed practiced some physical activity, but as there is a positive relationship between income and practice of physical exercise, the percentage of practitioners varies from 11% to 72% depending on the household per capita income. For the duration of the practice of physical exercise, 91% of practitioners spent at least 30 minutes of physical activity. The practice of walking is associated with women with less education and income. Our results from logit regressions are that sporting participation is positively related to education and household income. Negative factors, for example, dependent children have a larger negative effect on physical activity participation for women.
The results showed racial and regional differences in the determinants of sport participation. In the South the non-white women are more sedentary. Thus, the State programs promote universal access to sports to reduce racial inequalities and to implement policies regionalized.
The model for possession of health plan, the indicator variable practice sporting activity had positive signal and statistically significant showing women who have more practice health plan activities. We find evidence suggests that health insurance was associated with an increase in visits to the doctor.
Conclusions: We provide a detailed statistical investigation into the economic and demographic factors that determine sporting participation in Brazil. The results are consistent with the theory of capital health and show women with more schooling and income health practice more physical activities, i.e. they use part of your free time to produce health. In addition to engaging in sports activities, which cause the depreciation rate of health is lower, they acquire health insurance more than sedentary women. We do not find l evidence that obtaining health insurance reduces prevention behaviors among women in Brazil.
Keywords: physical activity, exercise, women, Brazil, ex ante moral hazard, health insurance
JEL Classification: I11, I12, J20
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation