Marta Pascual-Saez, David Cantarero-Prieto and Daniela Castañeda
The correlation between health care expenditure, gross domestic product (GDP) and population over 65 years (understood as share of the elderly) is a key question for health…
Abstract
Purpose
The correlation between health care expenditure, gross domestic product (GDP) and population over 65 years (understood as share of the elderly) is a key question for health economics and demographic impact. The purpose of this paper is to study the role of ageing society to curb rising health care expenditures along the Spanish regions over the period 2002-2013, identifying their geographic differences and explain them based on GDP differences.
Design/methodology/approach
Cointegration technique is used in order to test if there is a statistically significant connection between variables.
Findings
They are similar to some obtained when using unit root test. In particular, the authors find how the elderly positively affects health care expenditure per capita.
Practical implications
The findings suggest that any cooperation policies should aim at improving the access of people to health care services based on public health care expenditures.
Originality/value
To the best of the knowledge this is one of the first studies which suggest different results by Spanish regions due to mature decentralized system in recent years.
Details
Keywords
Naiwei Chen, Ho-Chyuan Chen and Shih-Yu Lin
Prior research mostly focuses on the effect of over-education on happiness, whereas the effect of under-education on happiness has received minimal attention. In addition, no…
Abstract
Purpose
Prior research mostly focuses on the effect of over-education on happiness, whereas the effect of under-education on happiness has received minimal attention. In addition, no research to date has examined the effect of both over- and under-education on happiness by using a full spectrum of workers. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to fill this research gap.
Design/methodology/approach
The ordered probit model is estimated to examine the effect of the education–occupation mismatch on happiness based on 2012 survey data from Taiwan.
Findings
The results generally indicate that over-education positively affects happiness, whereas under-education has a minimal effect. The effect of the education–occupation mismatch on happiness also varies with different age groups. Specifically, over-education positively affects happiness except for workers aged 42 and above, whereas negative effects of under-education are found only among workers aged between 32 and 42 when their social network is insufficiently extensive. Moreover, a worker’s social network as a non-pecuniary factor, rather than income as a pecuniary factor, is a major channel through which education enhances happiness.
Originality/value
Given the limited and mixed evidence on the relationship between over-education and happiness, this study contributes to the existing literature by examining whether and how the education–occupation mismatch (over- and under-education) affects the happiness of workers both directly and indirectly via pecuniary and non-pecuniary factors. The research issue remains unexplored to date. Addressing such a question should help explain the persistent trend in pursuing higher education in Taiwan, although highly educated people may suffer from unemployment and an education–occupation mismatch.
Peer review
The peer review history for this paper is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-04-2019-0283