Health behaviors and education in Turkey

Tansel, Aysit and Karaoglan, Deniz (2014): Health behaviors and education in Turkey.

Abstract

This is the first study which provides empirical analysis of the variation in health behaviors for adult men and women in Turkey which is a developing country. The health behaviors considered are smoking, drinking, fruit and vegetable consumption, exercise and body mass index (BMI). We find that in Turkey education is the most important factor that affects the health behaviors. The results indicate that smoking is positively associated with education at all levels with a decreasing effect with the level of education unlike in the developed countries. This result indicates that smoking is a serious public health problem in Turkey at all levels of education. Further, alcohol consumption and schooling are positively related and it increases by the level of education. Higher educated individuals clearly eat more fruits, vegetables and exercise more and their BMI levels are in the normal range compared to less educated and illiterate. We also highlight the importance of demographic factors, labor market status and household income. We use Health Survey of Turkish Statistical Institute (TURKSTAT) for years 2008, 2010 and 2012. This study will provide a baseline for further studies on the various aspects of health behaviors in Turkey.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Health Behaviors, Education, Demographic Factors, Turkey
• Subjects: I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I1 - Health > I10 - General; I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I1 - Health > I12 - Health Behavior; I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I2 - Education and Research Institutions; I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I2 - Education and Research Institutions > I20 - General

References

Bolin, K. "Health Production." Oxford Handbook of Health Economics. Ed. S. Glied and P.C. Smith. New York: Oxford University Press, 2011. 95-123. Print.

Brunello, G., D. Fabbri, and M. Fort (2013) "The Causal Effect of Education on Body Mass: Evidence from Europe," Journal of Labor Economics 31(1): 195-223.

Brunello, G., M. Fort, N. Schneeweis and R. Winter-Ebmer (2011) “The Causal Effect of Education on Health: What is the Role of Health Behaviors?”, CEPR Discussion Paper No.DP8707.

Carbone, J. C., S. Kverndokk, and O. J. Røgeberg (2005) "Smoking, Health, Risk, and Perception." Journal of Health Economics 24(4): 631-653.

Case, A. and C. Paxson (2005) “Sex Differences in Morbidity and Mortality” Demography 42(2): 189-214.

Cawley, J., and C. J. Ruhm (2011) "The Economics of Risky Health Behaviors" Handbook of Health Economics 2: 97-153.

Chaloupka, F. J., and K. E. Warner (2000) "The Economics of Smoking." Handbook of Health Economics 1: 1539-1627.

Cutler, D. M., E. L. Glaeser, and J. M. Shapiro (2003) "Why Have Americans Become More Obese?," The Journal of Economic Perspectives 17(3): 93-118.

Cutler, D. M., and E. L. Glaeser (2005) "What Explains Differences in Smoking, Drinking, and Other Health-Related Behaviors?." The American Economic Review 95(2): 238-242.

Cutler, D. M., Lleras-Muney, A. (2008) “Education and Health: Evaluating Theories and Evidence”, In: James, S.H.,

Schoeni, R.F., Kaplan, G.A., Pollack, H. (Eds), Making Americans Healthier: Social and Economic Policy as Health Policy. Russel Sage Foundation, New York.

Cutler, D. M. and A. Lleras-Muney (2010) “Understanding Differences in Health Behaviors by Education”, Journal of Health Economics 29(1):1-28.

Cutler, D. M., A. Lleras-Muney, and T. Vogl. “Socioeconomic Status and Health: Dimensions and Mechanisms”. Oxford Handbook of Health Economics. Ed. S. Glied and P.C. Smith. New York: Oxford University Press, 2011. 124-163. Print.

De Walque, D. (2007) "Does Education Affect Smoking Behaviors?: Evidence Using the Vietnam Draft as an Instrument for College Education," Journal of health economics 26(5): 877-895.

Erem, C., et al. (2004) "Prevalence of Obesity and Associated Risk Factors in a Turkish Population (Trabzon City, Turkey)," Obesity Research 12(7): 1117-1127.

Erbaydar, T., et al. (2005) "Influence of Social Environment in Smoking among Adolescents in Turkey," The European Journal of Public Health 15(4): 404-410.

Ettner, S. L. (1996) "New Evidence on the Relationship between Income and Health," Journal of Health Economics 15(1): 67-85.

Fletcher, G. F., et al. (1996) "Statement on Exercise: Benefits and Recommendations for Physical Activity Programs for All Americans A Statement for Health Professionals by the Committee on Exercise and Cardiac Rehabilitation of the Council on Clinical Cardiology, American Heart Association," Circulation 94(4): 857-862.

Fuchs, V. R. (2004) "Reflections on the Socio-Economic Correlates of Health" Journal of Health Economics 23(4): 653-661.

García, V. J., and C. Quintana-Domeque (2009) "Income and Body Mass Index in Europe," Economics & Human Biology 7 (1): 73-83.

Grossman, M., (1972) “On the Concept of Health Capital and the Demand for Health”, Journal of Political Economy 80 (2): 223-255.

Grossman, M., "The Human Capital Model." Handbook of Health Economics Vol.1. Ed. A.J. Culyer and J.P.Newhouse. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 2000. 348-408. Print.

Grossman, M., (2004) "The Demand for Health, 30 Years Later: A Very Personal Retrospective and Prospective Reflection." Journal of Health Economics 23 (4): 629-636.

Gruber, J., and M. Frakes (2006) "Does Falling Smoking Lead to Rising Obesity?," Journal of Health economics 25 (2): 183-197.

Hatemi, H., et al. (2003) "Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity in Turkey," Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders 1(4): 285-290.

Hung, H.C., et al. (2004) "Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Risk of Major Chronic Disease." Journal of the National Cancer Institute 96 (21): 1577-1584.

Idler, E. L. and Y. Benyamini (1997) “Self-Rated Health and Mortality: A Review of Twenty-Seven Community Studies”, Journal of Health and Social Behavior 38(1): 21-37.

Kemptner, D., H. Jürges and S. Reinhold. (2011) “Changes in Compulsory Schooling and the Causal Effect of Education on Health: Evidence from Germany”, Journal of Health Economics 30(2):340-354.

Kenkel, D. S. (1991) "Health Behavior, Health Knowledge, and Schooling," Journal of Political Economy 99(2): 287-305. Kocabas, A., et al. (1994) "Smoking Patterns at Different Medical Schools in Turkey", Tobacco Control 3(3): 228-235.

Lantz, P. M., et al. (1998) "Socioeconomic Factors, Health Behaviors, and Mortality." JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association 279 (21): 1703-1708.

Lantz, P. M., et al. (2001) "Socioeconomic Disparities in Health Change in a Longitudinal Study of US Adults: The Role of Health-Risk Behaviors," Social Science & Medicine 53(1): 29-40.

Lleras-Muney, A., (2005) “The Relationship between Education and Adult Mortality in the U.S”, Review of Economic Studies 72 (1): 189-221.

Metintaş, S., et al. (1998) "Smoking Patterns of University Students in Eskişehir, Turkey," Public Health 112 (4): 261-264.

Mokdad, A. H., J. S. Marks, D. F. Stroup, and J. L. Gerberding (2004) “Actual Causes of Death in the United States 2000,” Journal of American Medical Association 291 (10): 1238-1245.

Mullahy, J. (1997) "Instrumental-Variable Estimation of Count Data Models: Applications to Models of Tobacco Smoking Behavior," Review of Economics and Statistics 79 (4): 586-593.

Reijneveld, S. A. (2002) “Neighbourhood Socioeconomic Context and Self Reported Health and Smoking: a Secondary Analysis of Data on Seven Cities” J Epidemiol Community Health 56: 935-942.

Stewart, S. T., D. M. Cutler, and A. B. Rosen (2009) "Forecasting the Effects of Obesity and Smoking on US Life Expectancy." New England Journal of Medicine 361 (23): 2252-2260.

Tansel, A. (1993) “Tobacco Demand, Health Scares and Education in Turkey”, Applied Economics 25(4): 521-529.

Webbink, D., N. G. Martin and P. M. Visscher (2010) “Does Education Reduce the Probability of Being Overweight?”, Journal of Health Economics 29(1):29-38.

Yumuk, V. D. (2005) "Prevalence of Obesity in Turkey." Obesity Reviews 6(1): 9-10.