What Explains Differences in Smoking, Drinking and Other Health-Related Behaviors?

Cutler, David M.; Glaeser, Edward L.

doi:10.2139/ssrn.658302

Download This Paper

Open PDF in Browser

Add Paper to My Library

What Explains Differences in Smoking, Drinking and Other Health-Related Behaviors?

20 Pages Posted: 5 Feb 2005

See all articles by David M. Cutler

David M. Cutler

Harvard University - Department of Economics; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); Harvard University - Harvard Kennedy School (HKS)

Edward L. Glaeser

Harvard University - Department of Economics; Brookings Institution; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Date Written: February 2005

Abstract

We explore economic model of health behaviors. While the standard economic model of health as an investment is generally supported empirically, the ability of this model to explain heterogeneity across individuals is extremely limited. Most prominently, the correlation of different health behaviors across people is virtually zero, suggest that standard factors such as variation in discount rates or the value of life are not the drivers of behavior. We focus instead on two other factors: genetics; and behavioral-specific situational factors. The first factor is empirically important, and we suspect the second is as well.

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

Cutler, David M. and Glaeser, Edward L., What Explains Differences in Smoking, Drinking and Other Health-Related Behaviors? (February 2005). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=658302 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.658302