Does health information affect lifestyle behaviours? The impact of a diabetes diagnosis. (December 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gaggero, Alessio; Gil, Joan; Jiménez-Rubio, Dolores; Zucchelli, Eugenio
• Is Part Of: Social science & medicine. Volume 314(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-12
• Subjects: Diabetes -- Health information -- Lifestyle behaviours -- Body mass index -- Regression discontinuity design -- Administrative data; JEL: C21 -- I10 -- I12; Social medicine -- Periodicals; Medical anthropology -- Periodicals; Public health -- Periodicals; Psychology -- Periodicals; Medicine -- Periodicals; Medicine -- Periodicals; Médecine sociale -- Périodiques; Anthropologie médicale -- Périodiques; Santé publique -- Périodiques; Psychologie -- Périodiques; Médecine -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 362.105
• DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115420
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0277-9536

Abstract

Abstract: Despite an increasing interest in the effect of health information on health-behaviours, evidence on the causal impact of a diagnosis on lifestyle factors is still mixed and does not often account for long-term effects. We explore the role of health information in individual health-related decisions by identifying the causal impact of a type-2 diabetes diagnosis on body mass index (BMI) and lifestyle behaviours. We employ a fuzzy regression discontinuity design (RDD) exploiting the exogenous cut-off value in the diagnosis of type-2 diabetes provided by a biomarker (glycated haemoglobin) drawn from unique administrative longitudinal data from Spain. We find that following a type-2 diabetes diagnosis individuals appear to reduce their weight in the short-term. Differently from previous studies, we also provide evidence of statistically significant long-term impacts of a type-2 diabetes diagnosis on BMI up to three years from the diagnosis. We do not find perceivable effects of a type-2 diabetes diagnosis on quitting smoking or drinking. Overall, health information appears to have a sustained causal impact on weight reduction, a key lifestyle and risk factor among individuals with type-2 diabetes. Highlights: We explore the causal impact of a diabetes diagnosis on BMI and lifestyle behaviours. We use a regression discontinuity design and a biomarker as our running variable. Individuals reduce their weight in the short-term following a diabetes diagnosis. We identify long-term effects on weight up until three years since the diagnosis. We do not find perceivable effects of a diagnosis on smoking or drinking.