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Health Care Spending, Family Structure and Family Health

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2023

Garry F. Barrett  and
Robert Conlon
Robert Conlon
Affiliation:
School of Economics, University of New South Wales
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Abstract

We use data from the ABS National Health Surveys for 1989/95 and 1995 to examine differences in health care expenditures and health outcomes by family structure. We find that, on average, female single parents tend to experience poorer health outcomes, and exhibit more ‘risky’ health behaviours (particularly smoking), compared to adults in ‘two-parent’ families. Children in female single parent families tend to have more chronic health conditions than children in two-parent families. We also find that single parent families tend to spend a lower proportion of their income on health care, while receiving fewer indirect health care resources through government. Policies that may help reduce the economic and health disadvantages facing single parent families are considered.

Type
Current Issues
Information
The Economic and Labour Relations Review , Volume 14 , Issue 1 , June 2003 , pp. 143 - 152
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2003

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