Cultural Origins of Preventive Health Care Utilization

Jan Bietenbeck (), Lukas Maschmann, Therese Nilsson and Devon Spika
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Jan Bietenbeck: Lund University
Lukas Maschmann: Lund University
Therese Nilsson: Lund University
Devon Spika: University of Zurich

No 18301, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: We examine whether culturally transmitted time and risk preferences help explain differences in preventive health care uptake. We combine individual-level survey data from 27 European countries with country-level preference measures from the Global Preferences Survey. To isolate cultural influences from institutional and economic confounders, we focus on second-generation immigrants, who were born and currently reside in the same country -- and thus face the same institutional environment and health care system -- but whose parents originate from culturally distinct countries. We find that descendants of more patient cultures are more likely to use preventive services, while those from more risk-taking cultures are less likely to do so. These associations appear across multiple preventive care outcomes and remain robust to a wide range of socio-demographic and country-of-origin controls. The results highlight the role of culturally shaped preferences as a subtle but systematic determinant of preventive health behavior.

Keywords: patience; culture; preventive care; risk-taking (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-12
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hea and nep-inv
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