In the economic literature it is generally found that trade openness affects environment through various channels. While the mechanisms through which trade is associated with pollution are largely investigated theoretically and empirically, the role played by each trade component has not yet...

We introduce the (panel) zero-inflated interval regression (ZIIR) model, which is ideally suited when data are in the form of groups, which is commonly the case in survey data, and there is an ‘excess’ of zero observations. We apply our new modelling framework to the analysis of visits to...

Global budgeting sets a predetermined cap to restrain health expenditure, but the fixed budget for medical providers could result in less efficient services. This paper measures hospital efficiency under global budgeting using simultaneous stochastic frontier analysis, stressing that physicians...

This study empirically estimated the long-run and short-run impact of federal government human capital spending on human capital development in Nigeria. The study was motivated by the fact that despite growth in public spending in the past decade Nigeria still ranks low in human capital...

In recent years there has been a large scientific and public debate on climate change and its direct as well as indirect effects on human health. According to World Health Organization WHO, 2006), some 2.5 million people die every year from non-infectious diseases directly attributable to...

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 directs over $7 billion to expand broadband Internet availability and adoption in the United States. One target of such funding is the elderly population, a group of Americans for which broadband adoption is relatively low. An interesting...

It is well-established that high adherence to HAART is a major determinant of virological and immunological success. Furthermore, psycho-social research has identified a wide range of adherence factors. Our objective was to assess the bi-directional relationship between adherence and response to...

This paper examines evidence from Australia on the factors associated with binge drinking and several alcohol-related antisocial and unlawful behaviours. In particular, to quantify the negative externalities of excessive alcohol consumption by product type, our primary focus is the link with...

This paper proposes a joint model of tobacco consumption and mortality over the life-cycle. The decision to smoke is a trade off between current utility derived from smoking and a mortality risk increasing with age. Thus, individuals with a shorter potential life expectancy have less incentive...

A key concern in policy debates over youth smoking is whether preventing children from smoking will stop them from smoking as adults or merely defer initiation into smoking. This paper estimates determinants of smoking status in late adolescence viewing smoking at age 14 as an endogenous...