Risky Health Behaviour among Adolescents
(2003) In Lund Economic Studies no. 110.- Abstract
- This thesis consists of four essays on risky health behaviour among adolescents. In the first paper, Young people and alcohol: an econometric analysis, the purpose was to analyse the determinants of adolescent drinking behaviour within an economic-theoretical framework. The results showed that having parents willing to supply alcohol increased the frequency of beer-, wine-, and spirits-consumption and the intensity of wine-, spirits-, and illicit-spirits consumption, as well as the probability of binge drinking and participation in consumption. Having received education about alcohol, narcotics and tobacco had a negative effect on the intensity of beer consumption. Living in a single-parent household showed no effect on drinking behaviour.... (More)
- This thesis consists of four essays on risky health behaviour among adolescents. In the first paper, Young people and alcohol: an econometric analysis, the purpose was to analyse the determinants of adolescent drinking behaviour within an economic-theoretical framework. The results showed that having parents willing to supply alcohol increased the frequency of beer-, wine-, and spirits-consumption and the intensity of wine-, spirits-, and illicit-spirits consumption, as well as the probability of binge drinking and participation in consumption. Having received education about alcohol, narcotics and tobacco had a negative effect on the intensity of beer consumption. Living in a single-parent household showed no effect on drinking behaviour. Having a father who was currently unemployed showed a positive effect on binge-drinking, but a negative effect on the frequency of wine consumption.The second paper, Risk perceptions and alcohol consumption among young people, analysed alcoholism-risk perceptions, the determinants of these perceptions, and how these perceptions related to actual drinking behaviour. Three major conclusions were drawn: (1) that people overestimate the risks of alcoholism, (2) that these risk perceptions fall substantially with age, but nevertheless imply risk overestimation, and (3) that education about alcohol, narcotics and tobacco leads individuals to perceive risks more correctly and to have lower risk beliefs. An additional finding was that individuals with higher perceived risks were less likely to consume alcohol. In the third paper, Do they know what they are doing? Risk perceptions and smoking behaviour among teenagers, perceived risks of smoking-related lung cancer, the determinants of these risk perceptions, and how these perceptions related to smoking behaviour were analysed. The results showed that both smokers and non-smokers overestimated the risks of lung cancer. Furthermore, perceived risks were negatively related to age but were still overestimated in all age groups. Finally, the analysis showed that individuals with higher perceived risks were less likely to be smokers but risk beliefs had no effect on the number of cigarettes smoked. The fourth paper, Having the wrong friends? Peer effects in adolescent binge drinking, smoking, and illicit-drug use, analysed school-class-based peer effects in binge drinking, smoking, and illicit-drug use. Significant and positive peer effects were found for all three activities. By introducing school/grade fixed effects, the estimated peer effects were identified by variation in peer behaviour across school-classes within schools and grades, implying that estimates were not biased, due to endogenous sorting of students across schools. Further, endogeneity bias due to bi-directionality of peer effects was found for binge drinking and smoking. Controlling for this source of endogeneity resulted in even stronger peer effects. Overall, the study showed that substantial peer effects remained after taking account of the various pitfalls present when estimating such effects. (Less)
- Abstract (Swedish)
- Popular Abstract in Swedish
Avhandlingen består av en inledning och 4 artiklar. Den första artikeln, Young people and alcohol: an econometric analysis, analyser bestämningsfaktorerna för ungdomars konsumtion av alkohol ur ett hälsoekonomiskt perspektiv. Huvudresultatet i artikeln är att ungdomar som har föräldrar som är villiga att tillhandahålla alkohol till dem är mer benägna att dricka alkohol, mer benägna att dricka sig berusade och dricker oftare och mer intensivt än andra ungdomar. I den andra artikeln i avhandlingen, Risk perceptions and alcohol consumption among young people, analyseras ungdomars uppfattning om riskerna med alkoholkonsumtion, vad som bestämmer deras riskuppfattning och hur deras riskuppfattning... (More) - Popular Abstract in Swedish
Avhandlingen består av en inledning och 4 artiklar. Den första artikeln, Young people and alcohol: an econometric analysis, analyser bestämningsfaktorerna för ungdomars konsumtion av alkohol ur ett hälsoekonomiskt perspektiv. Huvudresultatet i artikeln är att ungdomar som har föräldrar som är villiga att tillhandahålla alkohol till dem är mer benägna att dricka alkohol, mer benägna att dricka sig berusade och dricker oftare och mer intensivt än andra ungdomar. I den andra artikeln i avhandlingen, Risk perceptions and alcohol consumption among young people, analyseras ungdomars uppfattning om riskerna med alkoholkonsumtion, vad som bestämmer deras riskuppfattning och hur deras riskuppfattning påverkar deras dryckesvanor. Resultaten visade att: (1) ungdomarna överskattade risken att drabbas av alkoholism, (2) riskerna upplevdes som lägre ju äldre man blev, men överskattades fortfarande i samtliga åldersgrupper, (3) ungdomar som hade fått undervisning om alkohol, narkotika- och tobak (ANT-undervisning) upplevde riskerna som lägre, (4) ungdomar som upplevde riskerna som stora var mindre benägna att dricka alkohol. Den tredje artikeln, Do they know what they are doing? Risk perceptions and smoking behaviour among teenagers, analyserar också ungdomars riskuppfattning, denna gång i samband med rökning. Resultaten visade att både rökare och icke-rökare i alla åldersgrupper överskattade risken för lungcancer i samband med rökning. Vidare så visade det sig, likt fallet med alkohol, att äldre ungdomar upplevde riskerna som lägre än yngre ungdomar. Riskuppfattningen påverkade också beslutet att röka eller inte men hade ingen påverkan på antalet cigaretter som röktes dagligen. I den fjärde artikeln, Having the wrong friends? Peer effects in adolescent binge drinking, smoking, and illicit-drug use, analyseras skolklassbaserade sociala interaktionseffekter i samband med berusningsdrickande, rökning, och narkotikaanvändning. Resultaten visade att klasskamraternas beteende har stor inverkan på individen. Ju fler klasskamrater som berusade sig, rökte eller använde narkotika, desto större var sannolikheten att individen också skulle berusa sig, röka eller använda narkotika. Ekonometriska tekniker användes för att reducera risken att resultaten enbart speglade att individer med likartade egenskaper hade blivit placerade på samma skolor. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/465778
- author
- Lundborg, Petter LU
- supervisor
- opponent
-
- Professor Godfrey, Christine, Department of Health Sciences and Clinical Evaluation, Centre of Health Economics, University of York, Heslington, YORK YO1 5DD, England
- organization
- publishing date
- 2003
- type
- Thesis
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Social economics, Social ekonomi, risky health behaviour, peer effects, substance use, illicit-drug use, smoking, alcohol, Econometric analysis, risk perception
- in
- Lund Economic Studies
- volume
- no. 110
- pages
- 189 pages
- publisher
- Department of Economics, Lund University
- defense location
- Holger Crafoords Ekonomicentrum
- defense date
- 2003-05-16 10:15:00
- ISSN
- 0460-0029
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 3aa66b0e-e8d9-455f-b084-2f1384d7c076 (old id 465778)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 17:03:09
- date last changed
- 2019-05-21 16:48:59
@phdthesis{3aa66b0e-e8d9-455f-b084-2f1384d7c076,
abstract = {{This thesis consists of four essays on risky health behaviour among adolescents. In the first paper, Young people and alcohol: an econometric analysis, the purpose was to analyse the determinants of adolescent drinking behaviour within an economic-theoretical framework. The results showed that having parents willing to supply alcohol increased the frequency of beer-, wine-, and spirits-consumption and the intensity of wine-, spirits-, and illicit-spirits consumption, as well as the probability of binge drinking and participation in consumption. Having received education about alcohol, narcotics and tobacco had a negative effect on the intensity of beer consumption. Living in a single-parent household showed no effect on drinking behaviour. Having a father who was currently unemployed showed a positive effect on binge-drinking, but a negative effect on the frequency of wine consumption.The second paper, Risk perceptions and alcohol consumption among young people, analysed alcoholism-risk perceptions, the determinants of these perceptions, and how these perceptions related to actual drinking behaviour. Three major conclusions were drawn: (1) that people overestimate the risks of alcoholism, (2) that these risk perceptions fall substantially with age, but nevertheless imply risk overestimation, and (3) that education about alcohol, narcotics and tobacco leads individuals to perceive risks more correctly and to have lower risk beliefs. An additional finding was that individuals with higher perceived risks were less likely to consume alcohol. In the third paper, Do they know what they are doing? Risk perceptions and smoking behaviour among teenagers, perceived risks of smoking-related lung cancer, the determinants of these risk perceptions, and how these perceptions related to smoking behaviour were analysed. The results showed that both smokers and non-smokers overestimated the risks of lung cancer. Furthermore, perceived risks were negatively related to age but were still overestimated in all age groups. Finally, the analysis showed that individuals with higher perceived risks were less likely to be smokers but risk beliefs had no effect on the number of cigarettes smoked. The fourth paper, Having the wrong friends? Peer effects in adolescent binge drinking, smoking, and illicit-drug use, analysed school-class-based peer effects in binge drinking, smoking, and illicit-drug use. Significant and positive peer effects were found for all three activities. By introducing school/grade fixed effects, the estimated peer effects were identified by variation in peer behaviour across school-classes within schools and grades, implying that estimates were not biased, due to endogenous sorting of students across schools. Further, endogeneity bias due to bi-directionality of peer effects was found for binge drinking and smoking. Controlling for this source of endogeneity resulted in even stronger peer effects. Overall, the study showed that substantial peer effects remained after taking account of the various pitfalls present when estimating such effects.}},
author = {{Lundborg, Petter}},
issn = {{0460-0029}},
keywords = {{Social economics; Social ekonomi; risky health behaviour; peer effects; substance use; illicit-drug use; smoking; alcohol; Econometric analysis; risk perception}},
language = {{eng}},
publisher = {{Department of Economics, Lund University}},
school = {{Lund University}},
series = {{Lund Economic Studies}},
title = {{Risky Health Behaviour among Adolescents}},
volume = {{no. 110}},
year = {{2003}},
}