Scandinavian Working Papers in Economics

HERO Online Working Paper Series,
University of Oslo, Health Economics Research Programme

No 2001:11: A healthy lifestyle: The product of opportunities and preferences

Hilde Lurås ()
Additional contact information
Hilde Lurås: Institute of Health Management and Health Economics, Postal: P.O. Box 1089 Blindern, NO-0317 Oslo, Norway

Abstract: In this explorative study we examine factors explaining individual choice of lifestyle. The empirical analysis of smoking, exercising and diet show that the mechanisms determining people’s lifestyle are complex. We argue that the economic models on the demand for health is a meaningful framework for analysing this issue, but that it needs some refinements. A suggestion for further analytical work is therefore to reformulate the model to incorporate own past behaviour (habits), the society individuals belongs to (traditions and norms), as well as a more immediate effect on utility of lifestyle.

Keywords: Health demand models; lifestyle; ordered probit analysis

JEL-codes: C35; I12; I18

37 pages, June 30, 2009

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