[EQ] Decomposing cross-country differences in levels of obesity and overweight: does the social environment matter?

Decomposing cross-country differences in levels of obesity and overweight:

does the social environment matter?

 

Joan Costa-Font a Daniele Fabbri b Joan Gil c

a. Department of Social Policy & European Institute, LSE, London, UK

b. DSE, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy

c. Dep. of Economic Theory & CAEPS, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

Working paper No. 12/2008 LSE Health

The London School of Economics and Political Science

 

Available online as PDF file [27p.] at:

http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/LSEHealth/pdf/LSEHealthworkingpaperseries/LSEHWP12.pdf

 

“…….A key question underpinning health production that remains relatively unexplored is the influence of socio-economic and environmental factors on weight gain and obesity. Such issues acquire particular relevance when data from two Mediterranean countries (Italy and Spain) are compared. Although the obesity rate was roughly the same in the two countries in 1990, by 2003 it was five percentage points higher in Spain than in Italy.

 

This paper reports a non-linear decomposition of differences in the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Spain and Italy by gender and age. We isolate the influence of lifestyle factors and socio-economic and environmental effects in explaining cross-country differences. Our findings suggest that when the social environment (peer effects) is not controlled for, eating habits and education are the main predictors of total cross-country differences (36% to 52%), although these two factors have a different impact depending on gender and age. However, when we control for the social environment, these factors lose their explanatory power and peer effects are found to explain between 46% and 76% of cross-country differences and to rise with age……..”

 

 

Content:

Abstract

1 Introduction

2 Data

3 Methods

a) The Non-linear Decomposition

b) The Regressors

4 Results

4.1 Descriptive evidence

4.2 Decomposition of cross-country obesity gaps: general population

4.3 Decomposition of cross-country class 1 obesity gaps by age groups and gender

5 Discussion

6 References

7 Appendix

 

 

 

 

 

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[EQ] Value for Money: Making Canadian Health Care Stronger

Value for Money: Making Canadian Health Care Stronger

 

Health Council of Canada - February 2009

 

Available online as PDF file [52p.] at:
http://www.healthcouncilcanada.ca/docs/rpts/2009/HCC_VFMReport_WEB.pdf

 

“…..Contrary to popular belief, aging and population growth are not the major causes of the rise in Canada’s health care spending. In reality, half of the increase can be directly attributed to the accelerating use of the system. Canadians are now using the system more than ever. We have to understand why, question whether we’re getting healthier as a result, and come up with new ideas for improving efficiency according to this paper by the Health Council of Canada. The paper aims to begin a conversation about how to sustain our universal public health system so that it can meet Canadians’ needs in the future. …”

 

 

CONTENTS

 Summary:  

 Foreword: An invitation

 Section One - Why “value for money”? Why now?

 Section Two - What is “value”?

 Section Three - Double double – where’s the trouble?

 Section Four - Understanding what goes in and what we get

 Section Five - More is not always better

 Summing up: Where do we go from here?

 References

 

 

 *      *     *

This message from the Pan American Health Organization, PAHO/WHO, is part of an effort to disseminate
information Related to: Equity; Health inequality; Socioeconomic inequality in health; Socioeconomic
health differentials; Gender; Violence; Poverty; Health Economics; Health Legislation; Ethnicity; Ethics;
Information Technology - Virtual libraries; Research & Science issues.  [DD/ KMC Area]

“Materials provided in this electronic list are provided "as is". Unless expressly stated otherwise, the findings
and interpretations included in the Materials are those of the authors and not necessarily of The Pan American
Health Organization PAHO/WHO or its country members”.
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