TY - JOUR

T1 - A Note on Smoking Behavior and Health Risk Taking

AU - Pfeifer, Christian

PY - 2012/7/1

Y1 - 2012/7/1

N2 - This research note presents two economic frameworks to describe the relationship between individual health risk aversion and smoking behavior. Using a large-scale representative data set (GSOEP), direct empirical evidence is found that individuals, who are more health risk taking, are more likely to be smokers and have a higher demand for cigarettes smoked per day. Non-linear specifications of risk taking reveal, however, that the risk effects are only significant for high risk takers. The estimated effects hold also separately for men and women.

AB - This research note presents two economic frameworks to describe the relationship between individual health risk aversion and smoking behavior. Using a large-scale representative data set (GSOEP), direct empirical evidence is found that individuals, who are more health risk taking, are more likely to be smokers and have a higher demand for cigarettes smoked per day. Non-linear specifications of risk taking reveal, however, that the risk effects are only significant for high risk takers. The estimated effects hold also separately for men and women.

KW - Economics

KW - Gender and Diversity

U2 - 10.5617/njhe.195

DO - 10.5617/njhe.195

M3 - Journal articles

VL - 1

SP - 135

EP - 151

JO - Nordic Journal of Health Economics

JF - Nordic Journal of Health Economics

SN - 1892-9710

IS - 2

ER -