The economics of family and health

Search and matching models are used to analyse why people who live together also tend to live longer. Drawing inspiration from labour economics, the topic is analysed theoretically as well as empirically – using the British Household Panel Survey and similar longitudinal surveys from other countries. The project started in October 2007 and runs for three years.

  Researcher: Martin Karlsson
  Funding: ESRC

Individualised Life Tables

This is a collaboration with Professor Mayhew and Dr Rickayzen at Cass Business School to develop population projection models which are useful for estimating life expectancy and healthy life expectancy for individuals with different socio-economic characteristics, also taking the correlation of various risks into account. The findings from this project could be useful for government planning agencies as well as insurance companies in their assessment of future risks.

  Researcher: Martin Karlsson
  Funding: ESRC 

The knowledgeable patient

Working in the tradition of Michael Grossman, this is an empirical project that seeks to analyse the extent to which the link between education and health goes through better access to, and understanding of, health related information. The project entails secondary data analysis as well as collection of new data.

  Researcher: Martin Karlsson
  Funding: Project under development 

Economic inequality and health

This study, in collaboration with Therese Nilsson (Lund University, Sweden) uses the Future of Retirement Survey to analyse the impact of economic inequality on health in different countries. The aim of the study is threefold: to establish whether such an inequality effect exists; whether it manifests itself through a person’s relative income or rather as an aggregate impact that affects all individuals in a community; and thirdly, to assess the extent to which the pathway from inequality to health is over reduced well-being or smaller social networks.

  Researcher: Martin Karlsson
  Funding: Project under development 

Dimensions and social determinants of health in old age in Nigeria and Kenya: implications for policy

A comparative investigation in Nigeria (Oyo State) and Kenya employing a combination of qualitative and quantitative social research methods. The research aims to examine, and generate a hitherto non-existent, interpretively based and comparative understanding of : the dimensions of health, functional status and well-being in old age; the extent, nature and patterns of older and middle-aged adults’ health investments [1] and risk behaviours, and their underlying rationales and perspectives; the social contexts, factors and life course influences (individual, familial/intergenerational and structural) that shape these health behaviours and perspectives and the relative capacity of older people compared to younger-generation family members to make investments in their health. In developing such an understanding, the goals of the research are (i) to contribute to the building of an urgently needed evidence base to inform the development of strategies to enhance health and health care for Nigeria’s and Kenya’s growing older population, as part of broader health and development agendas currently pursued in these countries, and (ii) contribute to key academic debates in social gerontology and public health, specifically on questions of the social and life course determinants of health in old age; the nature of intergenerational justice, resource allocation and old age support in families; the relationships between old age and poverty

[1] ‘Health investments’ are defined as comprising:
(i) Use of curative, palliative or preventive health care (from public, private or alternative providers)
(ii) Other health promoting undertakings (e.g. adequate, healthy nutrition, appropriate physical activity)

  Researcher: Isabella Aboderin
  Funding: Wellcome Trust