Relative Deprivation and Risky Behaviors

Ana Balsa, Michael T. French and Tracy L. Regan

No 1203, Documentos de Trabajo/Working Papers from Facultad de Ciencias Empresariales y Economia. Universidad de Montevideo.

Abstract: Relative deprivation, as measured by one?s socioeconomic status (SES) compared to that of a relevant peer group, has been associated with lower life and job satisfaction, as well as with adverse physical and mental health outcomes. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, we examine whether a student?s SES relative to her classmates has a direct effect on the frequency of drinking alcohol, drinking to intoxication, and smoking cigarettes. We further the existing literature by addressing selection and simultaneity bias, and by focusing on a reference group likely to exert the most influence on the subjects under study. We find that relative deprivation is positively and significantly associated with alcohol consumption, drinking to intoxication, and smoking for male adolescents, but not for females. Alternative variable definitions and robustness checks confirm the core findings. This study offers new insight into the reasons why adolescents engage in risky behaviors.

Keywords: relative deprivation; socio-economic status; risky behaviors; adolescents (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I12 I18 I20 I31 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012
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Related works:
Working Paper: Relative Deprivation and Risky Behaviors (2013)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:mnt:wpaper:1203

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