Description:

The association of health and social status is widely recognized. As this phenomenon is often regarded as being undesirable from a normative point of view, the evaluation of its causes and effects has a high relevance from a policy perspective.

Covered Topics: 

• Measurement, Decomposition and Quantitative Analysis of Health Inequality
• Poverty, Income Inequality and Emergence of Social Gradients in Health
• Health Inequalities and its Long-term and Intergenerational Impacts on Human Capital Formation
• Health Inequalities in Low and Middle Income Countries - Role of Institutions, policy perspectives and unique challenges for under-resourced countries  

• Distributive Justice and Health

  For further information please contact Nisha Vernekar 
  Room: WST-A.08.1 

Learning Targets:

Students taking this course will:

• Develop an understanding of contemporary questions in health economics research in different country contexts, their policy implications and broader impact on the economy and society
• Become familiar with quantitative measurement and decomposition methods for analysing health and income inequalities
• Acquire knowledge of prevalent empirical research designs for analysing health inequality in different contexts, including practical experience in their application
• Learn about health inequalities related to poverty, economic development, socioeconomic status, and gender, and how these vary over time and across countries

Literature:

Examples for relevant literature: 

• Almond, D.; Currie, J.; Duque, V.  (2018). Childhood Circumstances and Adult Outcomes: Act II.Journal of Economic Literature, 56(4), 1360–1446
• Dalgaard, C.-J, L.; Strulik, H.  (2011). Optimal Aging and Death: Understanding the Preston Curve.SSRN Electronic Journal 12: 672-701.
• Galama, T., Lleras-Muney, A., & Kippersluis, H.  (2018). The Effect of Education on Health and Mortality: A Review of Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Evidence. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Economics and Finance.

Methods of Assessment:

Exam

Formalities:

Final written exam on the teaching materials covered in lectures and tutorials (usually 60-90 min).