Template-Type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0
Title: Risky Lifestyle Choices of Women With Breast Cancer
Author-Name: Chloé Michel
Author-Email: 
Author-Name: Michelle Sovinsky
Author-Email: 
Author-Name: Steven Stern
Author-Email:
Classification-JEL: I12, J16, C35
Keywords: breast cancer, risky health behavior, health economics

Abstract: Using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics on breast cancer
diagnosis and lifestyle choices, we estimate how being diagnosed influences smoking, drinking,
and exercising habits for more than 8; 000 women over the period 1999 to 2011. Controlling
for unobserved heterogeneity, persistence in potentially addictive behaviors, and correlation
across behaviors, we find that the impact of a diagnosis has a different effect on smoking,
drinking, and exercising behavior. Furthermore, the impact depends upon the recency
of the diagnosis. Recently diagnosed women exercise and smoke less but do not change
their drinking habits relative to healthy women. Our approach provides insight into what
extent women who are faced with negative information about life expectancy take this into
consideration when deciding to engage in risky behaviors that might further affect their
survival in a significant way.


Note: 
Length: 24
Creation-Date: 2021-03
Revision-Date: 
File-URL: https://www.crctr224.de/research/discussion-papers/archive/dp069
File-Format: application/pdf
Handle: RePEc:bon:boncrc:CRCTR224_2021_069v2