Income inequalities in unhealthy life styles in England and Spain

Joan Costa-Font, Cristina Hernández-Quevedo () and Dolores Jiménez-Rubio
Authors registered in the RePEc Author Service: Dolores Jiménez Rubio

Economics & Human Biology, 2014, vol. 13, issue C, 66-75

Abstract: Health inequalities in developed societies are persistent. Arguably, the rising inequalities in unhealthy lifestyles might underpin these inequality patterns, yet supportive empirical evidence is scarce. We examine the patterns of inequality in unhealthy lifestyles in England and Spain, two countries that exhibit rising obesity levels with a high prevalence of smoking and alcohol use. This study is unique in that it draws from health survey data spanning over a period in which major contextual and policy changes have taken place. We document persistent income-related inequalities in obesity and smoking; both unhealthy lifestyles appear to be disproportionately concentrated among the relatively poor in recent decades. In contrast, alcohol use appears to be concentrated among richer individuals in both periods and countries examined.

Keywords: Inequalities in unhealthy lifestyles; Obesity; Alcohol consumption; Smoking; Reporting bias (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (27)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ehbiol:v:13:y:2014:i:c:p:66-75

DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2013.03.003

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