Abstract: Theeconomics of obesity literature implicitly assumes that measured anthropometrics are error-free and they are often treated as a gold standard when compared to self-reported data. We use factor mixture models to analyse and characterize measurement error in both self-reported and measured anthropometrics with national representative data from the 2013 National Health Survey in Brazil. Indeed, a small but statistically significant fraction of measured anthropometrics are attributed to data-recording errors. The estimated mean body weight (height) for those cases that are subject to error is 10% higher (2.9% lower) than the estimated mean of latent true body weight (height). As they are imprecisely measured and due to individual’s reporting behaviour, only between 10% and 24% of our self-reported anthropometrics are free from any measurement error. Postestimation analysis allows us to calculate hybrid anthropometric predictions that best approximate the true body weight and height distribution. BMI distributions based on the hybrid measures are close to those based on measured data, while BMI based on self-reported data under-estimates the true BMI distribution. Analysis of regression models for health care utilization shows little differences between the relationship with BMI when it is based on measured data or on our hybrid BMI measure, however some differences are observed when both are compared to BMI based on self-reporteddata.
Abstract: This paper examines the role of perceived disease risk for vaccination behavior. Using health insurance claims data, I estimate the effect of local measles outbreaks in Germany on first and second dose measles vaccinations in children as well as catch‐up vaccinations in adults. In my empirical strategy, I exploit the variation in timing and location of regional disease outbreaks and estimate a two‐way fixed effects model with birth cohort and region fixed effects. Basic underlying assumption is that measles outbreaks alter perceptions regarding the disease risk. The robustness of this approach with regard to possible bias due to heterogeneous treatment effects under differential treatment timing is assessed through the use of alternative estimators. The results show that measles outbreaks within a region increase the share of children who receive their vaccination on time by 0.8 percentage points for both the first and second vaccination. This corresponds to a reduction in the share of not timely vaccinated children of about 4.1% and 2.6% for the first and second dose, respectively. They further also increase the rate of monthly catch‐up vaccinations in adults by about 15% for the age group 20‐30 to up to 46% for those at ages 40‐50 in the first six months after an outbreak. One important finding is that regional outbreaks do not lead to increases in vaccinations in other regions even if public attention extends beyond the affected region. This suggests that behavioral responses are driven by affective rather than deliberative risk perception. Also, vaccination effects can be observed only in the few months following the outbreak, which indicates that changes in the perceived disease risk due to a local measles outbreak are short‐lived and fade away quickly once the disease outbreak is over.
Research connects people from all over the world. We see the importance to maintain scientific contacts and exchange with universities and scientific institutions in Ukraine in these devastating times. We invite researchers of Ukrainian universities or research institutes working in the broader field of health and labour economics to join CINCH for a research fellowship. Fellows are given the opportunity to execute a research project within the remit of CINCH or continue their ongoing projects in a safe working environment.
Benefits to Applicant:
Visit of a major German health economics research unit
Collaboration with CINCH researchers and partner institutions such as the RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research and Leibniz Science Campus Ruhr
