Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 653-676 |
| Number of pages | 24 |
| Journal | Jahrbucher fur Nationalokonomie und Statistik |
| Volume | 240 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| Early online date | 9 Nov 2019 |
| Publication status | Published - 25 Oct 2020 |
Abstract
Based on the German Socio-Economic Panel, the correlation between the body mass index, health, earnings and life satisfaction is analysed by gender. The previous literature has found no consistent results. This might have several reasons. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the gender-specific role of weight in single equation, piecewise and simultaneous equations models. We ask whether this distinction is important for the degree of association between health, earnings, satisfaction and body weight. In our context, piecewise modelling means a separate inspection of weight coefficients for under- and overweight people, allowing the detection of non-linear influences. As a benchmark, we begin our estimations under the assumption that the association between health, earnings, satisfaction, and weight is the same for under- and overweight people, and that there are no jointly dependent influences between our three outcome variables. The basic results are: health worsens, income declines and satisfaction is poorer with higher body mass index. If the association with weight is separately determined for over- and underweight people, the estimates show striking differences between overweight men and women. Underweight women earn more and overweight less than others. For normal-weight men the income is on average higher than for over- and underweight men but this difference is insignificant. When matching and instrumental variables procedures are applied, the health outcome for overweight people matches that of independent and unmatched estimates. Stronger positive effects on health are found for underweight women. No clear-cut advantages in income of overweight women can be found. Underweight women and especially underweight men tend to be less happy. For overweight men this influence is ambiguous but more speaks in favour of a lesser level of satisfaction. Overweight women seem to be happier.
Keywords
- Body mass index, Correlated errors, Endogeneity, Gender, Generated instrumental variables, Health, Income, Matching, Non-linearity, Satisfaction
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Business, Management and Accounting(all)
- General Business,Management and Accounting
- Social Sciences(all)
- Social Sciences (miscellaneous)
- Economics, Econometrics and Finance(all)
- Economics and Econometrics
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In: Jahrbucher fur Nationalokonomie und Statistik, Vol. 240, No. 5, 25.10.2020, p. 653-676.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - The gender-specific role of body weight for health, earnings and life satisfaction in piecewise and simultaneous equations models
AU - Hübler, Olaf
PY - 2020/10/25
Y1 - 2020/10/25
N2 - Based on the German Socio-Economic Panel, the correlation between the body mass index, health, earnings and life satisfaction is analysed by gender. The previous literature has found no consistent results. This might have several reasons. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the gender-specific role of weight in single equation, piecewise and simultaneous equations models. We ask whether this distinction is important for the degree of association between health, earnings, satisfaction and body weight. In our context, piecewise modelling means a separate inspection of weight coefficients for under- and overweight people, allowing the detection of non-linear influences. As a benchmark, we begin our estimations under the assumption that the association between health, earnings, satisfaction, and weight is the same for under- and overweight people, and that there are no jointly dependent influences between our three outcome variables. The basic results are: health worsens, income declines and satisfaction is poorer with higher body mass index. If the association with weight is separately determined for over- and underweight people, the estimates show striking differences between overweight men and women. Underweight women earn more and overweight less than others. For normal-weight men the income is on average higher than for over- and underweight men but this difference is insignificant. When matching and instrumental variables procedures are applied, the health outcome for overweight people matches that of independent and unmatched estimates. Stronger positive effects on health are found for underweight women. No clear-cut advantages in income of overweight women can be found. Underweight women and especially underweight men tend to be less happy. For overweight men this influence is ambiguous but more speaks in favour of a lesser level of satisfaction. Overweight women seem to be happier.
AB - Based on the German Socio-Economic Panel, the correlation between the body mass index, health, earnings and life satisfaction is analysed by gender. The previous literature has found no consistent results. This might have several reasons. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the gender-specific role of weight in single equation, piecewise and simultaneous equations models. We ask whether this distinction is important for the degree of association between health, earnings, satisfaction and body weight. In our context, piecewise modelling means a separate inspection of weight coefficients for under- and overweight people, allowing the detection of non-linear influences. As a benchmark, we begin our estimations under the assumption that the association between health, earnings, satisfaction, and weight is the same for under- and overweight people, and that there are no jointly dependent influences between our three outcome variables. The basic results are: health worsens, income declines and satisfaction is poorer with higher body mass index. If the association with weight is separately determined for over- and underweight people, the estimates show striking differences between overweight men and women. Underweight women earn more and overweight less than others. For normal-weight men the income is on average higher than for over- and underweight men but this difference is insignificant. When matching and instrumental variables procedures are applied, the health outcome for overweight people matches that of independent and unmatched estimates. Stronger positive effects on health are found for underweight women. No clear-cut advantages in income of overweight women can be found. Underweight women and especially underweight men tend to be less happy. For overweight men this influence is ambiguous but more speaks in favour of a lesser level of satisfaction. Overweight women seem to be happier.
KW - Body mass index
KW - Correlated errors
KW - Endogeneity
KW - Gender
KW - Generated instrumental variables
KW - Health
KW - Income
KW - Matching
KW - Non-linearity
KW - Satisfaction
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85074975350&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1515/jbnst-2019-0002
DO - 10.1515/jbnst-2019-0002
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85074975350
VL - 240
SP - 653
EP - 676
JO - Jahrbucher fur Nationalokonomie und Statistik
JF - Jahrbucher fur Nationalokonomie und Statistik
SN - 0021-4027
IS - 5
ER -