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Health and Financial Strain: Evidence from the Survey of Consumer Finances
Author(s) -
Lyons Angela C.,
Yilmazer Tansel
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
southern economic journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.762
H-Index - 58
eISSN - 2325-8012
pISSN - 0038-4038
DOI - 10.1002/j.2325-8012.2005.tb00681.x
Subject(s) - endogeneity , ordered probit , probit model , business , probit , strain (injury) , demographic economics , finance , economics , medicine , econometrics
Using data from the Survey of Consumer Finances, this study examines the relationship between health status and financial strain controlling for the dual endogeneity between the two factors. Simultaneous two‐stage probit models are estimated for self‐reported health status and three measures of financial strain. The results from all three models indicate that poor health significantly increases the probability of financial strain. There is little evidence that financial strain contributes to poor health. The findings suggest that severe health conditions may result in larger financial burdens while large financial burdens are unlikely to accelerate a decline in health status. In the end, health may be contributing to widening financial disparities, especially among the poor who are in poor health.