Title:How
Does the Information on Hypertension Affect Health Behaviors: A Two Dimensional Regression Discontinuity
Analysis
Speaker: Ang Sun
Abstract:This paper explores how hypertension diagnosis affects
self-awareness and health behaviors. The China Health and Nutrition Survey
(CHNS) measures interviewees’ 3-day average of systolic and diastolic pressure
levels in each round of the survey and informs people the results of the
examinations. In most cases, the
diagnosis of high blood pressure is made when systolic pressure readings
are consistently 140mmHg or above or diastolic pressure readings are consistently 90mmHg or above. We
conduct a regression discontinuity analysis using aggregated distance to the
cutoff boundary. Moreover, to better understand the effect of hypertension
diagnosis on health behaviors, we investigate the respective changes at systolic
and diastolic cutoffs. We find that although the respondents around the
systolic and diastolic pressure cutoffs are equally aware of having
hypertension, those around the systolic cutoff are more likely to take
medication, reduce fat intake and quit smoking. We find that education only
increases responsiveness at the cutoff of systolic pressure but has no effect
on health behaviors at the cutoff of diastolic pressure. This research
demonstrates the behaviors upon receiving complex information—a diagnosis based
on two-dimensional blood pressure measures. It also shows the limitation when
aggregating multidimensional information to a one dimensional measure in
regression discontinuity analysis.
About Ang Sun: Assistant
Professor, CUFE.
Date:Dec, 16th, 2015
Time:13:30-14:50 PM
Location:Room 608, Academic Hall,
CUFE