Time preference and health behaviour: A review

Lydia J.R. Lawless, Rodolfo Nayga and Andreas Drichoutis

MPRA Paper from University Library of Munich, Germany

Abstract: Time preferences indicate preferences over streams of future consumption which significantly shape individual decision making including the health domain. In this paper, we review published studies to assess the influence of time preferences on human health behaviour. We first discuss the theoretical background of time preferences; ascertain the differences between private and social discount rates; identify the impact of time preferences on governments of developing nations; and then assess how time preferences influence risky behaviour such as being overweight, smoking, and engaging in risky sexual behaviour. The issue of whether to use proxies or experimental time preference elicitation methods in time preference studies is also addressed.

Keywords: time preference; health domain; risk aversion; discount rate; behaviour (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D90 I0 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013-03-21
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cbe, nep-exp, nep-hea, nep-his and nep-upt
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (35)

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Related works:
Journal Article: Time preferences and health behaviour: a review (2013)
Journal Article: Time preferences and health behaviour: a review (2013)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:pra:mprapa:45382

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