Pollution risk and life insurance decisions: Microgeographic evidence from the United Kingdom

Recent research documents that exposure to air pollution can trigger various behavioral reactions. This article presents novel empirical evidence on the causal effect of pollution risk on life insurance decisions. We create a unique dataset by linking microgeographic air quality information to the confidential UK Wealth and Assets Survey. We identify an inverse N-shape relationship between pollution risk and life insurance adoption by exploiting the orthogonal variations in meteorological conditions. Over a given range above a threshold of exposure, rising pollution is associated with rising demand for life insurance, whereas at lower than the threshold levels of pollution, higher exposure risk reduces demand for insurance. Our findings indicate-for the first time-a nonlinear relationship between local pollution risk and life insurance demand.

Mental health and satisfaction with partners: a longitudinal analysis in the UK

BACKGROUND

Current UK health policy stresses treating health as an asset to underpin and promote a more inclusive and productive society. The quality of personal relationships is essential for overall quality of life. The social determinants of health (SDH) literature shows that poor mental health and well-being are linked to weaker personal and social connections for individuals, families, and society. The causal impact that mental health has on satisfaction with partners is less understood but requires investigation.

METHODS

The causal relationship between mental health and satisfaction with partners is examined drawing on the United Kingdom's British Household Panel Survey from 1991 to 2008. A total sample of 9,024 individuals in dyadic couples comprising 42,464 observations was analysed using fixed-effects and instrumental variable fixed-effects panel data estimation.

RESULTS

Lower mental health is associated with a lower satisfaction with partners. However, some causal evidence of lower mental health reducing satisfaction with partners is present for males.

DISCUSSION

For females, relationship satisfaction is more likely to influence mental health. For males there is a potential 'vicious circle' between satisfaction with partners and mental health.

CONCLUSIONS

Investment in mental health provision can improve satisfaction with partners which in turn will further enhance health and well-being.

Health as an asset: Enhancing personal, social and economic life

Background

Health policy in the UK increasingly advocates health as an asset (Baker, 2014; NHS England, 2019) focussing on the holistic capacity of health to support the wider flourishing of individuals (Hanlon et al., 2011). This research illuminates the cross-cutting impacts of public health investment for the personal social and economic life of individuals.

Methods

An observational longitudinal study based on data from the British Household Panel and Understanding Society Surveys covering 25 years from 1991 is undertaken. Satisfaction with partners, subjective financial situation and levels of structural social capital are regressed on measures of general subjective health and the GHQ12 score of mental health and confounders. A fixed effects instrumental variable panel data estimation identifies causal effects.

Results

With a significance level of at least p < 0.05, mental illness reduces satisfaction with personal relationships for males (n = 115,273). For males and females, both greater general subjective health and mental health improve feelings of coping financially (n = 329,282) and social capital (n = 150,298).

Conclusions

Changes in sets of health conditions, acting through general and mental health, produce cross-cutting impacts on personal, social and economic outcomes. These findings support the proposition that health is an asset and that both further analysis and prioritisation of greater coordinated deployment of health care assets in communities is needed.

References

Baker, D. (2014). Developing and implementing a robust asset-based approach to public health. Perspectives in Public Health, 134(3), 129-130.

Hanlon, P., Carlisle, S., Hannah, M., Reilly, D., & Lyon, A. (2011). Making the case for a “fifth wave” in public Health. Public Health, 125(1), 30-36.

NHS England. (2019). The NHS Long Term Plan - a summary, 2.

Key messages

Health can be viewed as an asset comprising of a range of conditions that can have causal impacts on the personal, social and economic lives of individuals and their wider flourishing. Harnessing health as an asset requires the development of greater integrated health care, social and individual support to capitalise on the cross-cutting impacts of health.

Health, subjective financial situation and well-being: a longitudinal observational study

BACKGROUND

An individual's financial situation is a key contributor to their overall well-being. Existing research has examined the direct economic consequences of changes in health upon out-of-pocket healthcare expenditure, participation in the labour force and potential earnings. There is also research exploring an individual's concern about their subjective financial situation regardless of the level of their income or work status on their health. In contrast, this paper conducts a causal analysis of the effects of general and mental health on an individual's subjective evaluation of their financial situation controlling for their work status and income. This is of importance because current health policy in the United Kingdom (UK) stresses the role of health as an asset which can mediate the wider flourishing of individuals. Moreover, subjective financial situation comprises a key component of well-being now being measured and sought in social welfare policy.

METHODS

Fixed effects instrumental variable panel data regression analysis is applied to 25 years of longitudinal data, from 1991, drawn from the harmonised British Household Panel Survey (BHPS) and Understanding Society Survey (USS).

RESULTS

Improved general health and reduced mental illness both improve the subjective financial situation of males and females. However, these affects diminish across older cohorts of males and females.

CONCLUSIONS

Investing in and improving general and mental health can improve the subjective financial situation and hence well-being of individuals. The targeting of health also needs to take account of an individuals' life-stage.

The effect of health on social capital; a longitudinal observation study of the UK

Background

UK health policy increasingly focusses on health as an asset. This represents a shift of focus away from specific risk factors towards the more holistic capacity by which integrated care assets in the community support improvements in both health and the wider flourishing of individuals. Though the social determinants of health are well known, relatively little research has focussed on the impact of an individual’s health on their social outcomes. This research investigates how improved health can deliver a social return through the development of social capital.

Methods

An observational study is undertaken on 25 years of longitudinal data, from 1991, drawn from the harmonised British Household Panel Survey (BHPS) and Understanding Society Survey (USS). Fixed effects instrumental variable panel data regression analysis is undertaken on individuals. The number of memberships of social organisations, as a measure of structural social capital, is regressed on subjectively measured general health and GHQ12 (Likert) scores. Distinction is drawn between males and females.

Results

Improved general health increases social capital though differences exist between males and females. Interaction effects, that identify the impacts of health for different age groups, reveal that the effect of increased health on social capital is enhanced for males as they age. However, in the case of females increases in general health increase social capital only in connection with their age group. In contrast mental illness generally reduces social capital for males and females, and these effects are reduced through aging.

Conclusions

Investing in health as an asset can improve the social outcomes of individuals. Increasing the outcomes requires tailoring integrated care systems to ensure that opportunities for social engagement are available to individuals and reflect age groups. Targeting improvements in mental health is required, particularly for younger age groups, to promote social capital. The results suggest the importance of ensuring that opportunity for engagement in social and civic organisation be linked to general and mental health care support.

Exploring the interrelationship between sport, health and social outcomes in the UK: implications for health policy

Background

Policy agencies are now re-visiting early aspirations that sport, as a form of physical activity, can be an instrument to foster general health and also subjective well-being (SWB). Both of these concepts capture physical and mental health states. SWB also encompasses broader psychological and life satisfaction as well as mood and affect. Past and current policies also identify a link between sport, social capital and SWB.

Methods

Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) is undertaken on data from the UK's Taking Part survey to investigate the interrelationships between sport, general health, social capital and SWB.

Results

The SEM shows a simultaneous relationship between sport and SWB. The effect is mediated through general health. The results also show that there is no relationship between social capital and sport but a clear relationship between SWB and social capital.

Conclusions

From a health policy perspective there should be an emphasis on encouraging greater sport participation, despite the difficulties that this poses, because there is a potential 'multiplier' effect on SWB and on general health through mediation. The multiplier effect occurs because once someone engages in sport and has their general health and SWB enhanced, then even further sport participation becomes likely, and subsequent general health and SWB, which would comprise both physical and mental health benefits. To target traditional non participants the research suggests that physical activity should be promoted for enjoyment, with health benefits subsequently following.

'No man is an island entire of itself.' The hidden effect of peers on physical activity: John Donne, Meditation XVII

International public policy emphasises the need to increase current low levels of physical activity (WHO, 2010). A large literature examines the reasons for the low levels of physical activity but tends to focus on the correlates of behaviour. This has prompted a call for more causal research to better support policy recommendations to change behaviour (Bauman et al., 2012). Using a large sample of individuals from the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS) between 1996/7 and 2006/7, a dynamic panel data analysis is employed to reveal a causal contemporaneous effect of a household peer's participation in physical activity on an individual's behaviour. The effect of a peer's physical activity on an individual's physical activity is found to be of a magnitude commensurate with the habits of the individual. An individual's participation in physical activity is also positively associated with their other leisure activity. The research suggests that an individual's physical activity takes place as part of a portfolio of household leisure, which health promotion needs to take account of.

Exploring the covariates of sport participation for health: an analysis of males and females in England

Increasing sport participation has been identified as a key vehicle for achieving World Health Organisation guidelines for health-enhancing physical activity (HEPA). A policy challenge is to promote this changed behaviour. Making use of the Active People Survey, a zero-inflated ordered probit model is used to identify the covariates of sport participation for males and females with respect to the related decisions to either participate in sport or not, and to participate at either lower or higher than desired intensity. To inform current policy emphases, the Active Places Survey is also used to examine the causal impact of facility provision on these behaviours. Results indicate that females are more likely to adopt less intensive activity even with time available. Families could place most constraints on females, but also reduce the intensity of male participation. Education has a greater association with higher intensity female activity. The largest effects are identified for sport club membership and facility satisfaction. Both of these affect male intensity of activity most. The main policy challenges facing sport in contributing to HEPA are shown to involve retaining male intensity of participation when ageing and encouraging greater female intensity of participation, with more appropriate matching of facilities.

The correlates of sports participation in Europe

Based on the Eurobarometer data from 2009 (N = 26,788), this paper investigates the correlates of sports participation. In addition to examining standard socio-demographic, economic and lifestyle factors, the paper also focuses on the impact of motivational factors, the availability of sports infrastructure and government support, for the first time collectively at the European level. A further contribution of the paper is that it simultaneously investigates both the decision to participate in sport and the frequency of sports participation in this context. This is made possible through the application of a Zero-Inflated Ordered Probit estimator. This estimator also takes into account two types of non-participants: those who have never participated in sport and those who did not participate at the time of the survey. The results show that the decision to participate in sports and the frequency of sports participation of males and females are affected by different factors, therefore distinct government policies should be applied to attract new, and retain the existing, participants. For example, women are affected more by a need to improve self-esteem, while the men to produce social integration. The provision of sports facilities is of more importance for males, which may indicate a male-oriented nature of the sports facilities, for example, the gym. However, the number of adults and the number of children in the household reduce the probability of sports participation by females. Therefore, higher provision of childcare may be important if female participation is to be increased.