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The Great Recession, financial strain and self-assessed health in Ireland

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  • MAZEIKAITE Gintare
  • O'DONOGHUE Cathal
  • SOLOGON Denisa

Abstract

In this paper, we study the effects of the 2008 economic crisis on general health in one of the most severely affected EU economies – Ireland. We examine the relationship between compositional changes in demographic and socio-economic factors, such as education, income, and financial strain, and changes in the prevalence of poor self-assessed health over a 5-year period (2008-2013). We apply a generalised Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition approach for non-linear regression models proposed by Fairlie (1999, 2005). Results show that the increased financial strain explained the largest part of the increase in poor health in the Irish population and different sub-groups. Changes in the economic activity status and population structure also had a significant positive effect. The expansion of education had a significant negative effect, preventing further increases in poor health. Wealthier and better-educated individuals experienced larger relative increases in poor health, which led to reduced socioeconomic health inequalities.

Suggested Citation

  • MAZEIKAITE Gintare & O'DONOGHUE Cathal & SOLOGON Denisa, 2018. "The Great Recession, financial strain and self-assessed health in Ireland," LISER Working Paper Series 2018-12, Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER).
    • Handle: RePEc:irs:cepswp:2018-12
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    2. Maite Blázquez & Santiago Budría & Ana I. Moro‐Egido, 2021. "Job Insecurity, Debt Burdens, and Individual Health," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 67(4), pages 872-899, December.
    3. Christopher T. Whelan & Brian Nolan & Bertrand Maître, 2018. "Economic Stress and the Great Recession in Ireland: The Erosion of Social Class Advantage," The Economic and Social Review, Economic and Social Studies, vol. 49(3), pages 259-286.
    4. Eduardo Ignacio Polo-Muro, 2021. "The effect of labor market shocks on mental health outcomes: evidence from the Spanish Great Recession," Working Papers 21.08, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Department of Economics.
    5. Cinaroglu, Songul, 2021. "Changes in hospital efficiency and size: An integrated propensity score matching with data envelopment analysis," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    population health; economic crisis; decomposition; socio-economic factors; EU-SILC; self-assessed health;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • J00 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General - - - General

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