Behavioral responses to the 2015 MERS epidemic in Korea

Hansoo Ko

Economics & Human Biology, 2021, vol. 41, issue C

Abstract: Understanding behavioral responses to epidemics is important in evaluating the broad health consequences of emerging infectious diseases. Building on the economic epidemiology literature, this study investigates individual behavioral responses to the 2015 Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) epidemic in Korea using a panel of individuals in a nationally representative survey. Results show that exposure to the epidemic led to lasting impacts on smoking and drinking behaviors, indicating that emerging infectious disease outbreaks are motivations for behavioral changes and opportunities for public policy interventions. In particular, individuals in the hardest-hit regions or socially connected persons were more likely to change their risky behaviors, suggesting that intensity of exposure and social interactions are potential mechanisms.

Keywords: Health behaviors; Emerging infectious disease; Economic epidemiology; MERS (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I10 I12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ehbiol:v:41:y:2021:i:c:s1570677x20302355

DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2020.100965

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