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Do People Value Their Own Future Health Differently from Others' Future Health?

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  • John Cairns
  • Marjon Van Der Pol

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether time preferences for own health are the same as time preferences for others' health. A random sample of the general public was sent a postal questionnaire containing six choices between ill health in the near future and ill health in the further future. They were asked to indicate the maximum duration of more distant ill health they would be willing to accept in return for a specified delay in the onset of the period of ill health. For half of the sample the questions were set in the context of their own health and for the other half in terms of others' health. The median implied discount rates were not statistically different, 0.061 for own health and 0.062 for others' health. A multilevel analysis of the determinants of these implied discount rates provided additional evidence of the similarity of time preferences for own health and others' health. Key words: intertemporal preferences; own versus other's health. (Med Decis Making 1999; 19:466-472)

Suggested Citation

  • John Cairns & Marjon Van Der Pol, 1999. "Do People Value Their Own Future Health Differently from Others' Future Health?," Medical Decision Making, , vol. 19(4), pages 466-472, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:medema:v:19:y:1999:i:4:p:466-472
    DOI: 10.1177/0272989X9901900414
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    2. Ioannou , Christos A. & Sadeh, Jana, 2014. "Time Preferences and Risk Aversion: Tests on Domain Differences," Discussion Paper Series In Economics And Econometrics 1422, Economics Division, School of Social Sciences, University of Southampton.
    3. Christos A. Ioannou & Jana Sadeh, 2016. "Time preferences and risk aversion: Tests on domain differences," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 53(1), pages 29-54, August.
    4. Robberstad, Bjarne, 2005. "Estimation of private and social time preferences for health in northern Tanzania," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 61(7), pages 1597-1607, October.
    5. Vasquez-Lavín, Felipe & Ponce Oliva, Roberto D. & Hernández, José Ignacio & Gelcich, Stefan & Carrasco, Moisés & Quiroga, Miguel, 2019. "Exploring dual discount rates for ecosystem services: Evidence from a marine protected area network," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 63-80.

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