Economic policy uncertainty, health status, and mortality

Wei Huang, Xiaoyan Lei and Miao Yu

Social Science & Medicine, 2024, vol. 362, issue C

Abstract: Using data from 1985 to 2018 across up to 17 countries, this study shows that higher levels of economic policy uncertainty (EPU) are associated with reduced mortality rates and improved health outcomes, particularly among individuals aged 65 years and above. Notably, fatalities of most causes decrease with rising EPU, while suicide is an exception. Further investigation into potential explanations for the observed health improvement suggests that increased EPU is linked to individuals spending more time on self-care and leisure activities, adopting better health behaviors and reducing their labor supply. (JEL Classifications: E32, I10, I12, P36)

Keywords: Economic policy uncertainty; Health status; Mortality; Time use (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:socmed:v:362:y:2024:i:c:s0277953624006804

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DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.117227

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