Individual time preferences and obesity: A behavioral economics analysis using a quasi-hyperbolic discounting approach
International Journal of Social Economics
ISSN: 0306-8293
Article publication date: 5 November 2019
Issue publication date: 14 January 2020
Abstract
Purpose
Behavioral economic analysis of health-related behavior is a potentially useful approach to study and control non-communicable diseases. The purpose of this paper is to explore the time preferences of individuals and its impact on obesity in an adult population of Iran.
Design/methodology/approach
A structured questionnaire was completed by 792 individuals who were randomly selected from the participants of an ongoing national Prospective Epidemiological Research Studies in IrAN cohort study in West of Iran. The quasi-hyperbolic discounting model was used to estimate the parameters of time preferences and a probit regression model was used to explore the correlation between obesity and time preferences.
Findings
There was a statistically significant correlation between obesity and both the long-run patience and present-biased preferences of participants. Individuals with a low level of long-run patience were 10.2 percentage points more likely to be obese compared to individuals with a high level of long-run patience. The probability of being obese increased by 11 percentage points in present-biased individuals compared to future biased individuals.
Originality/value
The long-run patience and time inconsistent preferences were significant determinants of obesity. Considering the time-inconsistent preferences in the development of policies to change obesity-related behavior among adults might increase the success rate of the interventions.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This project was conducted with the financial support of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran (Grant No: 9321434002). The ethics committee of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran approved the study protocol (Ethical Approval No: IR.TUMS.VCR.REC.1396.2671). We are grateful to the individuals who willingly participated in this study. The authors thank the Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences for helping the authors to conduct this study at the RaNCD cohort study center. The authors also would like to thank all the staff members of RaNCD cohort study center. Authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Citation
Soofi, M., Sari, A.A., Rezaei, S., Hajizadeh, M. and Najafi, F. (2020), "Individual time preferences and obesity: A behavioral economics analysis using a quasi-hyperbolic discounting approach", International Journal of Social Economics, Vol. 47 No. 1, pp. 16-26. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSE-04-2019-0271
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited