eprintid: 18806
rev_number: 24
eprint_status: archive
userid: 601
dir: disk0/00/01/88/06
datestamp: 2009-12-21 13:18:40
lastmod: 2015-07-23 09:38:19
status_changed: 2009-12-21 13:18:40
type: working_paper
metadata_visibility: show
item_issues_count: 0
creators_name: Avitabile, C.
creators_name: Jappelli, T.
creators_name: Padula, M.
creators_id: CAVIT71
title: Screening tests, information, and the health-education gradient
ispublished: pub
subjects: 12000
divisions: F24
keywords: Health, education, information, general practitioners
abstract: The association between health outcomes and education - the health-education gradient - is widely documented but little is known about its source. Using microeconomic data on a sample of individuals aged 50+ in eight European countries, we find that education and cognitive skills (such as verbal fluency) are associated with a greater propensity for standard screening tests (mammography and colonoscopy). In order to study the role of information on the decision to screen, we test whether the health-education gradient varies with the quality of the information provided by the health care system, as proxied by the quality of the General Practitioner. Using an Instrumental Variable approach to control for the potential endogeneity of the GP quality score, we find evidence of a strong and significant complementarity between education and quality of primary care. We interpret this result as evidence that health-education gradient can be explained, at least in part, by the fact that better educated individuals are more able to process and internalize health related information as provided by GPs.
date: 2008-01
publisher: Centre for Studies in Economics and Finance (CSEF), Department of Economics, University of Naples Federico II
official_url: http://www.csef.it/wpcsef.htm
vfaculties: VSHS
oa_status: green
language: eng
primo: open
primo_central: open_green
lyricists_name: Avitabile, C
lyricists_id: CAVIT71
full_text_status: public
series: CSEF Working Papers
number: 187
place_of_pub: Naples, Italy
citation:        Avitabile, C.;    Jappelli, T.;    Padula, M.;      (2008)    Screening tests, information, and the health-education gradient.                    (CSEF Working Papers  187). Centre for Studies in Economics and Finance (CSEF), Department of Economics, University of Naples Federico II: Naples, Italy.       Green open access   
 
document_url: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/18806/1/18806.pdf