The Labour Market and Health Effects of a Diabetes Warning: Evidence of Gender and Age Differences from the Lifelines Cohort Study

Claudio Annibali, Annette Bergemann and Rob Alessie

No 1799, GLO Discussion Paper Series from Global Labor Organization (GLO)

Abstract: Health screenings are potentially powerful tools to mitigate adverse health and labour outcomes. We conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the labour market and health effects of a diabetes warning in a country that has not introduced such a screening system. Using data from over 160, 000 participants in Lifelines, a Dutch cohort study, and a multidimensional regression discontinuity design, we estimate the short- and long-run impacts of a diabetes risk warning. Individuals under 40 increase their employment rate following a warning, with effects that are especially pronounced and persistent for women. These employment gains are accompanied by improvements in self-reported health among women and reduced smoking among men. Among older individuals, the responses are more heterogeneous: Women are more likely to retire and reduce alcohol consumption, while men are less likely to receive disability benefits and more likely to visit their general practitioner in the short term. Our findings provide novel evidence that health information can influence labour market outcomes through gender- and age-specific behavioural adjustments.

Keywords: diabetes; diabetes screening; employment; health behaviour; undiagnosed diabetes; multi-dimensional regression discontinuity design (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I10 I12 J16 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:zbw:glodps:1799

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