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The demand for physical activity: an application of Grossman's health demand model to the elderly population

Abdul-Rahman, Mohd Fahzy
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1199127215

Abstract Details

2008, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Family Resource Management.
Lack of physical activity has been identified as one of the health issues facing Americans, including the elderly population. While the elderly population tends to have relatively worse health condition, this population has great potential in being actively involved in physical activity since this population is less restricted by familial responsibilities and more likely to be retired. This study examined the demand for physical activity among elderly in the U.S. based on Grossman's health demand model. Six hypotheses related to time spent on physical activity were derived from Grossman's health model and tested using the Health Retirement Survey (HRS) and its supplement survey, the Consumption and Activities Mail Survey (CAMS) 2001 and 2003. In order to better estimate the demand for physical activity based on Grossman's demand for health model, this study improved the usage of four variables: wage rate, asset, health depreciation rate, and price of medical care. Random-effect Tobit model and three-stage least square estimations were used respectively to estimate reduced- and structural-forms of demand for time spent on physical activity. Only one of the six hypotheses, smoking variable, derived from a Grossman-based theoretical model was supported, as tested in the structural-form equation. Wage rate was found to be highly significant but in the opposite direction than predicted. This study exemplifies an approach of studying a public health issue using a health economics model. The operationalization of wage rate as market efficiency allows results of estimations, including those of health stock and medical care, to be generalized to the non-working population. Smokers tend to spend the least amount of time in physical activity, followed by those who never smoked, which indicates that those who are more concerned about health changes (i.e., those who stopped smoking) tend to spend more time in physical activity. The insignificance of wealth implies that people with limited financial resources have access to physical activity. The simultaneous-equation estimation of the demands for health stock, medical care, and time spent on physical activity provides additional insights on the performance of health demand hypotheses in a simultaneous setting while taking into the account non-working population.
Jinkook Lee (Advisor)
164 p.
Physical Activity; Grossman; Demand; Health Economics

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Abdul-Rahman, M. F. (2008). The demand for physical activity: an application of Grossman's health demand model to the elderly population [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1199127215

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Abdul-Rahman, Mohd. The demand for physical activity: an application of Grossman's health demand model to the elderly population. 2008. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1199127215.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Abdul-Rahman, Mohd. "The demand for physical activity: an application of Grossman's health demand model to the elderly population." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2008. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1199127215

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.