Open Access
Health risk realization versus warning : impact on lifestyle behaviours
Loading...
Files
HealthRisks_Verdun_2025.pdf (223.53 KB)
Full-text in Open Access
License
Access Rights
Cadmus Permanent Link
Full-text via DOI
ISBN
ISSN
1932-6203
Issue Date
Type of Publication
Keyword(s)
LC Subject Heading
Other Topic(s)
EUI Research Cluster(s)
Initial version
Published version
Succeeding version
Preceding version
Published version part
Earlier different version
Initial format
Author(s)
Citation
PLoS One, 2025, Vol. 20, No. 12, OnlineOnly
Cite
VERDUN, Zoey Sarah, Health risk realization versus warning : impact on lifestyle behaviours, PLoS One, 2025, Vol. 20, No. 12, OnlineOnly - https://hdl.handle.net/1814/94177
Abstract
Using individual-level panel data from Understanding Society I estimate the response to a health risk realization on a healthy lifestyle index. To overcome the endogeneity of a diagnosis, I match on initial health risks. I find individuals improve their overall lifestyle healthiness when faced with a large negative health event such as a heart attack or diabetes diagnosis, interpreted as a precise signal about their health status, whereas they do not respond to a noisier signal through solely receiving information about certain health risk factors, such as a diagnosis of high blood pressure or angina (chest pain). The drivers of the overall effect are a decrease in the number of cigarettes smoked and an increase in not drinking alcohol; there is no significant effect found for either diet or exercise. I find some heterogeneity by sex, but only when looking at individual lifestyle behaviours. Overall, the findings suggest that the realization of a health risk leads individuals to improve their lifestyle behaviours, while only a noisier signal about their health risks leads to no such change.
Table of Contents
Additional Information
Published online: 15 December 2025