Parental altruism and the value of avoiding acute illness: are kids worth more than parents?

    Authors

    M. Dickie;V. L. Messman

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    J.Environ.Econ.Manage.

    Keywords

    family economics; children's health; health valuation; altruism; benefit-cost analysis; environmental justice; environmental policy; morbidity valuation; willingness to pay; WILLINGNESS-TO-PAY; CONTINGENT VALUATION; AIR-POLLUTION; HEALTH; QUALITY; RISK; PREFERENCES; BENEFITS; FAMILY; TAIWAN; Business; Economics; Environmental Studies

    Abstract

    A model describing parents' preferences to relieve their own and their children's acute illnesses is estimated using stated-preference data. Estimated marginal rates of substitution (MRS) between child and parent illness are about two, indicating that parents value children's illness attributes twice as highly as their own. The MRS is larger for younger children, falls toward unity as the child approaches adulthood, and appears to reflect parental altruism rather than parent-child differences in initial health or illness costs. Intra-family allocations may compensate for chronic health impairments. Parents' willingness to pay to avoid own or child illness increases with income, declines with fertility, increases at a decreasing rate with duration and number of symptoms, and depends on perceived discomfort and activity restrictions. Current methods of assessing morbidity benefits of environmental regulations may understate substantially the value of children's health, particularly in African-American families. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

    Journal Title

    Journal of Environmental Economics and Management

    Volume

    48

    Issue/Number

    3

    Publication Date

    1-1-2004

    Document Type

    Article; Proceedings Paper

    Language

    English

    First Page

    1146

    Last Page

    1174

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000224996300007

    ISSN

    0095-0696

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