Alcohol mortality, drinking behaviour, and business cycles: are slumps really dry seasons?

This paper explores the connection between alcohol mortality, drinking behaviour and macroeconomic fluctuations in Finland by using both aggregate and micro-level data during the past few decades. The results from the aggregate data reveal that an improvement in regional economic conditions measured by the employment-to-population rate produces a decrease in alcohol mortality. However, the great slump of the early 1990s is an exception to this pattern. During that particular episode, alcohol mortality did indeed decline, as there was an unprecedented collapse in economic activity. The results from the micro-data show that an increase in the employment-to-population rate and expansion in regional GDP produces an increase in alcohol consumption while having no effect on the probability of being a drinker. All in all, the Finnish evidence presented does not overwhelmingly support the conclusions reported for the USA, according to which temporary economic slowdowns are good for health. In contrast, at least alcohol mortality seems to increase in those bad times that are not exceptional economic crises like the one experienced in the early 1990s. However, there is evidence that alcohol consumption is strongly procyclical by its nature. This suggests that alcohol consumption and mortality may be delinked in the short-run business cycle context.alcohol mortality, drinking, business cycles

Disparities in food habits : Review of research in 15 European countries

Fair-97-3096 -project, Disparities group (tasks 4 and 5)

Does a Slump Really Make You Thinner? Finnish Micro-level Evidence 1978-2002

This paper explores the relationship between obesity and economic conditions in Finland, using individual microdata from 1978 to 2002. The results reveal that an improvement in regional economic conditions measured by the employment-to-population ratio produces a decrease in obesity over the period of investigation, other things being equal. This effect arises from the decline in the height-adjusted weight of people who are deeply overweight, (BMI>35). In addition, the effect is strongest for the people in later middle age (aged 45-65). The incidence of obesity is unrelated to the regional growth rate. All in all, the Finnish evidence presented does not support the conclusions reported for the USA, according to which temporary economic slowdowns are good for health. In contrast, at least overweight increases during slumps.overweight, business cycles, health

Health behaviour among Lithuanian adult population, 2006

Book describes data on national 25-64 year lithuanians health behaviour survey starting from 1994 every other year. Book would be useful for people who work in scientific research in social health, medical, social science area, health policy formating and materializing structures. Data presented in this book could be interesting and beneficial for biomedical and social sciences students, social health, family medicine, management specialists for preparing their master‘s and PhD

Voidaanko ravitsemuspolitiikalla kaventaa väestön ravitsemuksen sosioekonomisia eroja?

Ruokatottumukset ovat Suomessa viime vuosikymmeninä parantuneet ja sosioekonomiset erot pienentyneet, silti erot esimerkiksi kasvisten ja joukkoruokailun käytössä ovat selviä. Ravitsemuspolitiikka on Suomessa tyypillisesti kohdistunut koko väestöön. Politiikan keinoja eli informaatio-ohjausta, lainsäädäntöä ja resursseja tulisi nykyistä tehokkaammin hyödyntää niin, että terveyttä edistävät ruokatottumukset yleistyisivät erityisesti huonommassa sosioekonomisessa asemassa olevilla väestöryhmillä. Tutkimustietoa erilaisten keinojen vaikuttavuudesta on niukalti. Todennäköisesti hintojen ja saatavuuden muutokset vaikuttaisivat enemmän alemmissa sosioekonomisissa ryhmissä vaikka keinot kohdistuvatkin koko väestöön. Neuvonnan ja tuen räätälöinti tehokkaammin tarpeiden mukaiseksi voisi myös vähentää ravitsemuseroja. Erojen kaventaminen edellyttää tutkimusta, poliittista tahtoa ja kaventamistoimien sisällyttämistä paikallisten, kansallisten ja kansainvälisten päättäjien ja muiden toimijoiden agendalle