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Do Spa Visits Improve Health: Evidence From German Micro Data

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  • Jonathan Klick

    (College of Law, 425 West Jefferson Street Tallahassee, FL 32301-1609, USA.)

  • Thomas Stratmann

    (Department of Economics, George Mason University, 1D3 Carow Hall, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA.)

Abstract

The health benefits of spas have been hypothesized for centuries. If this hypothesis is correct, spa therapy offers a low cost alternative to more expensive and potentially more invasive medical treatments for ailments such as back pain and arthritis. We use individual-level panel data to isolate the effect of spa therapy on missed workdays and hospital visits in Germany. Simple correlations suggest a self-selection bias — spa visits are associated with increased absenteeism and hospitalization. However, when we exploit the longitudinal nature of the data, we find that spa therapy leads to a statistically significant reduction in both absenteeism and hospitalization, though it is not clear if these health benefits justify the cost of spa therapy. Eastern Economic Journal (2008) 34, 364–374. doi:10.1057/palgrave.eej.9050038

Suggested Citation

  • Jonathan Klick & Thomas Stratmann, 2008. "Do Spa Visits Improve Health: Evidence From German Micro Data," Eastern Economic Journal, Palgrave Macmillan;Eastern Economic Association, vol. 34(3), pages 364-374.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:easeco:v:34:y:2008:i:3:p:364-374
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    Cited by:

    1. Bago, Jean-Louis & Lompo, Miaba Louise & Souratié, Wamadini dite Minata, 2018. "Estimating the Impact of School Education on Contraception Use among Adolescents Aged 15–19 in Burkina Faso and Nigeria: Evidence from a Heckman Two-Step Correction Model," AfricArxiv 7vrpn, Center for Open Science.

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