Investigation of the Effects of Economic Indicators on Child Mortality: Panel Data Analysis

Abstract

The health level of society is an indicator of the development as a whole, and it is monitored through various indicators. Among these indicators, infant and child mortality are followed by both countries and international organizations. The purpose of this study is to determine what effect economic variables have on child mortality. A Panel data analysis was used as a method in the study. Eviews 10.0 and Stata 15.0 package programs were used for data analysis. While the research universe is composed of 132 countries in the middle-upper income and high-income groups in the World Bank classification; The sample of the research consists of 49 countries whose data are taken. The time dimension of the study constitutes the 2000-2019 periods and the data types of the variables were used annually. While variables representing child mortality are used as dependent variables in the study; Gini index value representing income distribution, Gross Domestic Product, per capita income, public expenditure level, and the unemployment rate were used as independent variables. As a result of the research, it has been revealed that there is a positive relationship between the unemployment rate and income inequality and under-five mortality and neonatal deaths. Also, it has been observed that there is a negative relationship between the increase in public expenditure, per capita income and the level of Gross Domestic Product, and under-five mortality and neonatal deaths. It has been observed that the neonatal mortality rate is affected by economic variables more than the under-five mortality. In this context, it has been revealed that economic indicators are significantly related to child mortality.

Keywords

• Child Mortality
• Health Indicators
• Health Expenditures
• Income Inequality
• Panel Data Analysis

References

1. Açıkgöz, E., Uygurtürk, H. & Korkmaz, T. (2015). Analysis of factor affecting growth of pension mutual funds in Turkey, International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues. 5(2): 427-433.
2. Akram, N. (2009). Short Run and Long Run Dynamics of Impact of Health Status on Economic Growth Evidence From Pakistan. Munich Personal RePEc Archive. Papers, No:15454.
3. Aslan, R. & Yapraklı, S. (2018). Politik ekonomik göstergelerinin ekonomik büyüme üzerindeki etkileri: gelişmekte olan ülkeler üzerine panel veri analizler, Atatürk Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü İktisat Anabilim Dalı. Doktora Tezi.
4. Aydın, B. (2020). İktisadi göstergelerin beklenen yaşam süresi üzerindeki etkileri: Panel veri analizi. İstanbul İktisat Dergisi. 70(1): 163-181.
5. Baltagi, B. H. (2013). Econometric analysis of panel data. John Wiley & Sons.
6. Berger, M.G. & Messer, J. (2002). Public financing of health expenditures, ınsurance, and health outcomes, Applied Economics, 34(17): 2105-2113.
7. Bloom, D.E. & Sachs, D. (1998). Geography, demography, and economic growth in Africa. Brookings Papers on Economic Activity. 1998(2): 207-295.
8. Bloom, D.E., Canning, D. & Sevilla, J. (2001). The effect of health on economic growth: theory and evidence, NBER Working Paper Series No: 8587.

9. Brien, R.M. (2007). A caution regarding rules of thumb for variance ınflation factors. Quality and Quantity, 41(5): 673-690.
10. Chakraborty, S. (2004). Endogenous lifetime and economic growth. Journal of Economic Theory, 116(1): 119-137.
11. Cooray, A. (2013). Does health capital have differential effects on economic growth? Applied Economics Letters, 20, 244-249.
12. Çelik, Y. (2016). Sağlık ekonomisi. 3. Baskı, Siyasal Kitabevi.
13. Çetin, M. & Ecevit, E. (2010). Sağlık harcamalarının ekonomik büyüme üzerindeki etkisi: OECD ülkeleri üzerine bir panel regresyon analizi. Doğuş Üniversitesi Dergisi, 11(2): 166-182.
14. Çevik, S. (2013). Kamu sağlık harcamalarının sağlık sonuçları üzerindeki etkisi: ülkelerin gelir seviyelerine göre bir karşılaştırma. İstanbul Üniversitesi Siyasal Bilgiler Fakültesi Dergisi. 48: 113-133.
15. Çoban, S. (2008). The relationship among mortality rates, income, and educational ınequality in terms of economic growth: A comparison between Turkey and the Euro area. MPRA Paper No: 13296.
16. Deluna, P.Jr. & Peralta T.F. (2014). Public Health expenditures, income and health outcomes in the Philippines. MPRA Paper No. 60115.
17. Dooley, D., Fielding, J., & Levi, L. (1996). Health and unemployment. Annual Reviews Public Health. 17: 449-465.
18. Dreger, C. & Reımers, H. E. (2005). Health care expenditures in OECD countries: a panel unit root and cointegration analysis. IZA Discussion Paper No: 1469.
19. Easterly, W. (1999). Life during growth. Journal of Economic Growth. 4(3): 239-276.
20. Elmi, Z.M. & Sadeghi, S. (2012). Health Care expenditures and economic growth in developing countries: Panel co-integration and causality. Middle-East Journal of Scientific Research, 12(1): 88-91.
21. Gyimah-Brempong, K. & Wilson, M. (2004). Health human capital and economic growth in Sub-Saharan African and OECD countries, The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, 44(2): 296-320.
22. Heijink, R., Koolman X. & Westert, G.P. (2013). Spending more money, saving more lives? The relationship between avoidable mortality and healthcare spending in 14 countries. European Journal of Health Economics, 14: 527-538.
23. Holcman, M.M., Latorre, M.R. & Santos, J.L.F. (2004). Infant mortality evolution in the metropolitan region of Sao Paulo (Brazil), 1980-2000. Revista de Saude Publica. 38(2): 180-186.
24. Jin, R. L., Shah, C. P., & Svoboda, T. J. (1995). The impact of unemployment on health: a review of the evidence. Canadian Medical Association. 153(5): 529–540.
25. Kawachi, I. & Kennedy, B.P. (1999). Income inequality and health: Pathways and mechanisms. Health Service Resources. 34(1): 215-227.
26. Kessler, R., House, J., & Turner, J. (1987). Unemployment and health in a community sample. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 28(1): 51-59.
27. Kim, T.K. & Lane, S.R. (2013). Government Health expenditure and public health outcomes: A comparative study among 17 countries and ımplications for US health care reform. American International Journal of Contemporary Research, 3(9): 8-13.
28. Labonté R. (2009). The global financial crisis and health: scaling up our effort. Canadian Public Health. 100(3): 173-175.
29. Materia, E., et al. (2005). Health inequalities, income inequality, and mortality in Italy. European Journal of Public Health, 15(4): 411-417.
30. Mathers, C.D. & Schofield, D.J. (1998). The health consequences of unemployment: The evidence. The Medical Journal of Australia. 168(4): 178-182.
31. Mayer, D. (2001). The long-term impact of health on economic growth in Latin America. World Development, 29(6): 1025-1033.
32. Mehrara, M. & Musai, M. (2011). Health expenditure and economic growth: An ARDL approach for the case of Iran. Journal of Economics and Behavioral Studies. 3(4): 249-256.
33. Moreno-Serra, R. & P. Smith (2015), Broader health coverage ıs good for the nation’s health: Evidence from country level panel data, Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, 178: 101-124.
34. Nixon, J. & Ulmann, P. (2006), The relationship between health care expenditure and health outcomes: Evidence and caveats for a causal link, European Journal of Health Economics, 7(1): 7-18.
35. Odrakiewicz, D. (2012). The connection between health and economic growth: Policy ımplications re-examined, Global Management Journal, 1(2): 65-76.
36. Pradhan, R.P. (2011). Effects of health spending on economic growth: A time series approach, Decision, 38(2): 68-83.
37. Sachs, J.D. (2001). Macroeconomics and health: investing in health for economic development, report of the commission on macroeconomics and health, World Health Organization, Switzerland.
38. Smith, A. (2006). Ulusların zenginliği. (Çev. Metin Saltoğlu). Palme Yayıncılık.
39. Şenses. F. (2017). İktisada (farklı bir) giriş: Giriş iktisadı öğrencileri ve iktisada ilgi duyanlar için yardımcı kitap. İletişim Yayınları.
40. Uçan, O. & Atay, S. (2016). Türkiye’de sağlık harcamaları ve büyüme arasındaki ilişki üzerine bir inceleme. Niğde Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi. 9(3): 215-222.
41. United Nations. (2000). United Nations Millennium Declaration. https://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/Millennium.aspx.
42. United Nations. (2015). Transforming our world: the 2030 agenda for sustainable development. https://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/70/1&Lang=E.