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Medical net cost of low alcohol consumption - a cause to reconsider improved health as the link between alcohol and wage?

Jarl, Johan LU orcid ; Gerdtham, Ulf LU orcid and Hradilova Selin, Klara (2009) In Cost Effectiveness and Resource Allocation 7(17).
Abstract
Background: Studies have found a positive effect of low/moderate alcohol consumption on wages. This has often been explained by referring to epidemiological research showing that alcohol has protective effects on certain diseases, i.e., the health link is normally justified using selected epidemiological information. Few papers have tested this link between alcohol and health explicitly, including all diseases where alcohol has been shown to have either a protective or a detrimental effect.
Aim: Based on the full epidemiological information, we study the effect of low alcohol
consumption on health, in order to determine if it is reasonable to explain the positive effect of low
consumption on wages using the... (More)
Background: Studies have found a positive effect of low/moderate alcohol consumption on wages. This has often been explained by referring to epidemiological research showing that alcohol has protective effects on certain diseases, i.e., the health link is normally justified using selected epidemiological information. Few papers have tested this link between alcohol and health explicitly, including all diseases where alcohol has been shown to have either a protective or a detrimental effect.
Aim: Based on the full epidemiological information, we study the effect of low alcohol
consumption on health, in order to determine if it is reasonable to explain the positive effect of low
consumption on wages using the epidemiological literature.
Methods: We apply a non-econometrical cost-of-illness approach to calculate the medical care
cost and episodes attributable to low alcohol consumption.
Results: Low alcohol consumption carries a net cost for medical care and there is a net benefit
only for the oldest age group (80+). Low alcohol consumption also causes more episodes in medical
care then what is saved, although inpatient care for women and older men show savings. 
Conclusion: Using health as an explanation in the alcohol-wage literature appears invalid when
applying the full epidemiological information instead of selected information. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Cost Effectiveness and Resource Allocation
volume
7
issue
17
pages
8 pages
publisher
BioMed Central (BMC)
external identifiers
  • scopus:71149084996
ISSN
1478-7547
DOI
10.1186/1478-7547-7-17
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
45043d78-9d51-4520-aff7-b2e99aef15c5
date added to LUP
2017-12-08 13:45:59
date last changed
2022-04-25 04:19:04
@article{45043d78-9d51-4520-aff7-b2e99aef15c5,
  abstract     = {{<b>Background: </b>Studies have found a positive effect of low/moderate alcohol consumption on wages. This has often been explained by referring to epidemiological research showing that alcohol has protective effects on certain diseases, i.e., the health link is normally justified using selected epidemiological information. Few papers have tested this link between alcohol and health explicitly, including all diseases where alcohol has been shown to have either a protective or a detrimental effect.<br/><b>Aim: </b>Based on the full epidemiological information, we study the effect of low alcohol<br>
consumption on health, in order to determine if it is reasonable to explain the positive effect of low<br>
consumption on wages using the epidemiological literature.<br/><b>Methods:</b> We apply a non-econometrical cost-of-illness approach to calculate the medical care<br>
cost and episodes attributable to low alcohol consumption.<br/><b>Results:</b> Low alcohol consumption carries a net cost for medical care and there is a net benefit<br>
only for the oldest age group (80+). Low alcohol consumption also causes more episodes in medical<br>
care then what is saved, although inpatient care for women and older men show savings. <b><br/></b><b>Conclusion:</b> Using health as an explanation in the alcohol-wage literature appears invalid when<br>
applying the full epidemiological information instead of selected information.}},
  author       = {{Jarl, Johan and Gerdtham, Ulf and Hradilova Selin, Klara}},
  issn         = {{1478-7547}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{17}},
  publisher    = {{BioMed Central (BMC)}},
  series       = {{Cost Effectiveness and Resource Allocation}},
  title        = {{Medical net cost of low alcohol consumption - a cause to reconsider improved health as the link between alcohol and wage?}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/35556243/1478_7547_7_17.pdf}},
  doi          = {{10.1186/1478-7547-7-17}},
  volume       = {{7}},
  year         = {{2009}},
}