'Cultural Persistence' of Health Capital: Evidence from European Migrants

J. Costa-Font and A. Sato

Health, Econometrics and Data Group (HEDG) Working Papers from HEDG, c/o Department of Economics, University of York

Abstract: Culture is an under-studied determinant of health production and seldom measured. This paper empirically examines the persistence and association of health capital assessments of first and second-generation migrants with that of their ancestral countries. We draw on European data from 30 countries, including over 90 countries of birth and control for timing of migration, selective migration and other controls including citizenship and cultural proxies. Our results show robust evidence of cultural persistence of health assessments. Culture persists, rather than fades, and further, appears to strengthen over generations. We estimate a one standard deviation increase in ancestral health assessment increases first generation migrant’s health assessments by an average of 16%, and that of second generation migrants between 11% and 25%. Estimates are heterogeneous by gender (larger for males) and lineage (larger for paternal lineage).

Keywords: assimilation; health; health assessments; cultural persistence; first generation migrant; second generation migrant (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: H23 I18 Z13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016-06
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-eur, nep-ger, nep-gro, nep-hea, nep-mig and nep-soc
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Working Paper: "Cultural Persistence" of Health Capital: Evidence from European Migrants (2016)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:yor:hectdg:16/09

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