Are Health Shocks Different? Evidence from a Multi-Shock Survey in Laos
In Laos health shocks are more common than most other shocks and more concentrated among the poor. They tend to be more idiosyncratic than non-health shocks, and are more costly, partly because they lead to high medical expenses, but also because t...
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| Format: | Policy Research Working Paper |
| Language: | English |
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2012
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| Online Access: | http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?menuPK=64187510&pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000158349_20100616081556 http://hdl.handle.net/10986/3825 |
| id |
okr-10986-3825 |
|---|---|
| recordtype |
oai_dc |
| repository_type |
Digital Repository |
| institution_category |
Foreign Institution |
| institution |
Digital Repositories |
| building |
World Bank Open Knowledge Repository |
| collection |
World Bank |
| language |
English |
| topic |
ADVERSE EFFECTS AGRICULTURAL SHOCKS AGRICULTURE ASSETS CLINICS COMMUNITIES CONFLICT CONSUMPTION SMOOTHING COVARIATE SHOCKS CRIME CRIMES DEATHS DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS DISASTERS DROUGHT ECONOMETRICS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ECONOMIC GROWTH ECONOMIC INTEGRATION ECONOMIC SHOCKS ELDERLY PEOPLE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES EXPENDITURES FAMILIES FEMALE FINANCIAL CRISIS FINANCIAL RISK FOOD CONSUMPTION FOOD POLICY FOOD PRICE FOOD RELIEF GENDER GINI COEFFICIENT HEALTH CARE HEALTH CARE SECTOR HEALTH CARE SERVICES HEALTH ECONOMICS HEALTH EXPENDITURES HEALTH FACILITIES HEALTH IMPACTS HEALTH INSURANCE HEALTH SERVICES HEALTH STATUS HEALTH SYSTEM HOUSEHOLD BUDGET HOUSEHOLD COMPOSITION HOUSEHOLD HEAD HOUSEHOLD SIZE HOUSEHOLD SURVEY HOUSEHOLD VULNERABILITY HOUSEHOLD WELFARE HOUSEHOLDS HOUSING HUMAN CAPITAL HUMAN DEVELOPMENT IDIOSYNCRATIC SHOCKS ILLNESS IMPACT OF SHOCKS INCIDENCE OF POVERTY INCOME INCOME GROWTH INCOME RISK INDEXES INEQUALITY INJURIES INSURANCE INSURANCE MARKETS INTEGRATION LIFE EXPECTANCY LIVING STANDARDS MEDICAL CARE MEDICAL EXPENSES NATURAL RESOURCES PARTICIPATORY POVERTY ASSESSMENT PATIENT PATIENTS PHARMACIES POOR POOR HEALTH POOR SOIL QUALITY POVERTY ASSESSMENTS POVERTY REDUCTION POVERTY STATUS PRICE INCREASES PRICE INDEXES PROBABILITY PUBLIC POLICIES PUBLIC WORKS PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMS REGRESSION ANALYSIS REMOTE RURAL AREAS RISK AVERSION RISK MANAGEMENT RURAL RURAL AREAS RURAL POPULATION RURAL SETTINGS SAFETY SAFETY NET PROGRAMS SAFETY NETS SAVINGS SMOOTHING CONSUMPTION SOCIAL SAFETY NETS TOTAL COSTS UNEMPLOYMENT URBAN AREAS VILLAGE LEADERS VILLAGE LEVEL VILLAGES WAGES WEALTH |
| spellingShingle |
ADVERSE EFFECTS AGRICULTURAL SHOCKS AGRICULTURE ASSETS CLINICS COMMUNITIES CONFLICT CONSUMPTION SMOOTHING COVARIATE SHOCKS CRIME CRIMES DEATHS DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS DISASTERS DROUGHT ECONOMETRICS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ECONOMIC GROWTH ECONOMIC INTEGRATION ECONOMIC SHOCKS ELDERLY PEOPLE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES EXPENDITURES FAMILIES FEMALE FINANCIAL CRISIS FINANCIAL RISK FOOD CONSUMPTION FOOD POLICY FOOD PRICE FOOD RELIEF GENDER GINI COEFFICIENT HEALTH CARE HEALTH CARE SECTOR HEALTH CARE SERVICES HEALTH ECONOMICS HEALTH EXPENDITURES HEALTH FACILITIES HEALTH IMPACTS HEALTH INSURANCE HEALTH SERVICES HEALTH STATUS HEALTH SYSTEM HOUSEHOLD BUDGET HOUSEHOLD COMPOSITION HOUSEHOLD HEAD HOUSEHOLD SIZE HOUSEHOLD SURVEY HOUSEHOLD VULNERABILITY HOUSEHOLD WELFARE HOUSEHOLDS HOUSING HUMAN CAPITAL HUMAN DEVELOPMENT IDIOSYNCRATIC SHOCKS ILLNESS IMPACT OF SHOCKS INCIDENCE OF POVERTY INCOME INCOME GROWTH INCOME RISK INDEXES INEQUALITY INJURIES INSURANCE INSURANCE MARKETS INTEGRATION LIFE EXPECTANCY LIVING STANDARDS MEDICAL CARE MEDICAL EXPENSES NATURAL RESOURCES PARTICIPATORY POVERTY ASSESSMENT PATIENT PATIENTS PHARMACIES POOR POOR HEALTH POOR SOIL QUALITY POVERTY ASSESSMENTS POVERTY REDUCTION POVERTY STATUS PRICE INCREASES PRICE INDEXES PROBABILITY PUBLIC POLICIES PUBLIC WORKS PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMS REGRESSION ANALYSIS REMOTE RURAL AREAS RISK AVERSION RISK MANAGEMENT RURAL RURAL AREAS RURAL POPULATION RURAL SETTINGS SAFETY SAFETY NET PROGRAMS SAFETY NETS SAVINGS SMOOTHING CONSUMPTION SOCIAL SAFETY NETS TOTAL COSTS UNEMPLOYMENT URBAN AREAS VILLAGE LEADERS VILLAGE LEVEL VILLAGES WAGES WEALTH Wagstaff, Adam Lindelow, Magnus Are Health Shocks Different? Evidence from a Multi-Shock Survey in Laos |
| geographic_facet |
East Asia and Pacific East Asia and Pacific Southeast Asia Asia Lao People's Democratic Republic |
| relation |
Policy Research working paper ; no. WPS 5335 |
| description |
In Laos health shocks are more common
than most other shocks and more concentrated among the poor.
They tend to be more idiosyncratic than non-health shocks,
and are more costly, partly because they lead to high
medical expenses, but also because they lead to income
losses that are sizeable compared with the income losses
associated with non-health shocks. Health shocks also stand
out from other shocks in the number of coping strategies
they trigger: they are more likely than non-health shocks to
trigger assistance from a nongovernmental organization and
other households, dis-saving, borrowing, asset sales, an
early harvest, the pawning of possessions, and the delaying
of plans; by contrast, they are less likely to trigger
assistance from government. Consumption regressions point to
only limited evidence of households not being able to smooth
consumption in the face of any shock. However, these results
contrast with households' own assessments of the
welfare impacts of shocks. The majority said they had to cut
back consumption following a shock and that shocks
considerably affected their welfare. Only health shocks are
worse than a drought in terms of the likelihood of a family
being forced to cut back consumption and in terms of the
shock affecting a family's well-being "a
lot." The poor are especially disadvantaged in terms of
the greater damage that health shocks inflict on household
well-being. Health shocks stand out too in leading to a loss
of human capital: household members experiencing a health
shock did not recover their former subjective health
following the health shock, losing, on average, 0.6 points
on a 5-point scale. The wealthier and better educated are
better able to limit the health impacts of a health shock;
the data are consistent with this being due to their greater
proximity to a health facility. |
| format |
Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper |
| author |
Wagstaff, Adam Lindelow, Magnus |
| author_facet |
Wagstaff, Adam Lindelow, Magnus |
| author_sort |
Wagstaff, Adam |
| title |
Are Health Shocks Different? Evidence from a Multi-Shock Survey in Laos |
| title_short |
Are Health Shocks Different? Evidence from a Multi-Shock Survey in Laos |
| title_full |
Are Health Shocks Different? Evidence from a Multi-Shock Survey in Laos |
| title_fullStr |
Are Health Shocks Different? Evidence from a Multi-Shock Survey in Laos |
| title_full_unstemmed |
Are Health Shocks Different? Evidence from a Multi-Shock Survey in Laos |
| title_sort |
are health shocks different? evidence from a multi-shock survey in laos |
| publishDate |
2012 |
| url |
http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?menuPK=64187510&pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000158349_20100616081556 http://hdl.handle.net/10986/3825 |
| _version_ |
1764388538395131904 |
| spelling |
okr-10986-38252021-04-23T14:02:13Z Are Health Shocks Different? Evidence from a Multi-Shock Survey in Laos Wagstaff, Adam Lindelow, Magnus ADVERSE EFFECTS AGRICULTURAL SHOCKS AGRICULTURE ASSETS CLINICS COMMUNITIES CONFLICT CONSUMPTION SMOOTHING COVARIATE SHOCKS CRIME CRIMES DEATHS DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS DISASTERS DROUGHT ECONOMETRICS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ECONOMIC GROWTH ECONOMIC INTEGRATION ECONOMIC SHOCKS ELDERLY PEOPLE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES EXPENDITURES FAMILIES FEMALE FINANCIAL CRISIS FINANCIAL RISK FOOD CONSUMPTION FOOD POLICY FOOD PRICE FOOD RELIEF GENDER GINI COEFFICIENT HEALTH CARE HEALTH CARE SECTOR HEALTH CARE SERVICES HEALTH ECONOMICS HEALTH EXPENDITURES HEALTH FACILITIES HEALTH IMPACTS HEALTH INSURANCE HEALTH SERVICES HEALTH STATUS HEALTH SYSTEM HOUSEHOLD BUDGET HOUSEHOLD COMPOSITION HOUSEHOLD HEAD HOUSEHOLD SIZE HOUSEHOLD SURVEY HOUSEHOLD VULNERABILITY HOUSEHOLD WELFARE HOUSEHOLDS HOUSING HUMAN CAPITAL HUMAN DEVELOPMENT IDIOSYNCRATIC SHOCKS ILLNESS IMPACT OF SHOCKS INCIDENCE OF POVERTY INCOME INCOME GROWTH INCOME RISK INDEXES INEQUALITY INJURIES INSURANCE INSURANCE MARKETS INTEGRATION LIFE EXPECTANCY LIVING STANDARDS MEDICAL CARE MEDICAL EXPENSES NATURAL RESOURCES PARTICIPATORY POVERTY ASSESSMENT PATIENT PATIENTS PHARMACIES POOR POOR HEALTH POOR SOIL QUALITY POVERTY ASSESSMENTS POVERTY REDUCTION POVERTY STATUS PRICE INCREASES PRICE INDEXES PROBABILITY PUBLIC POLICIES PUBLIC WORKS PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMS REGRESSION ANALYSIS REMOTE RURAL AREAS RISK AVERSION RISK MANAGEMENT RURAL RURAL AREAS RURAL POPULATION RURAL SETTINGS SAFETY SAFETY NET PROGRAMS SAFETY NETS SAVINGS SMOOTHING CONSUMPTION SOCIAL SAFETY NETS TOTAL COSTS UNEMPLOYMENT URBAN AREAS VILLAGE LEADERS VILLAGE LEVEL VILLAGES WAGES WEALTH In Laos health shocks are more common than most other shocks and more concentrated among the poor. They tend to be more idiosyncratic than non-health shocks, and are more costly, partly because they lead to high medical expenses, but also because they lead to income losses that are sizeable compared with the income losses associated with non-health shocks. Health shocks also stand out from other shocks in the number of coping strategies they trigger: they are more likely than non-health shocks to trigger assistance from a nongovernmental organization and other households, dis-saving, borrowing, asset sales, an early harvest, the pawning of possessions, and the delaying of plans; by contrast, they are less likely to trigger assistance from government. Consumption regressions point to only limited evidence of households not being able to smooth consumption in the face of any shock. However, these results contrast with households' own assessments of the welfare impacts of shocks. The majority said they had to cut back consumption following a shock and that shocks considerably affected their welfare. Only health shocks are worse than a drought in terms of the likelihood of a family being forced to cut back consumption and in terms of the shock affecting a family's well-being "a lot." The poor are especially disadvantaged in terms of the greater damage that health shocks inflict on household well-being. Health shocks stand out too in leading to a loss of human capital: household members experiencing a health shock did not recover their former subjective health following the health shock, losing, on average, 0.6 points on a 5-point scale. The wealthier and better educated are better able to limit the health impacts of a health shock; the data are consistent with this being due to their greater proximity to a health facility. 2012-03-19T18:40:29Z 2012-03-19T18:40:29Z 2010-06-01 http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?menuPK=64187510&pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000158349_20100616081556 http://hdl.handle.net/10986/3825 English Policy Research working paper ; no. WPS 5335 CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/ World Bank Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper East Asia and Pacific East Asia and Pacific Southeast Asia Asia Lao People's Democratic Republic |