Elasticities are estimated for long-run solutions of Markov chains of income distribution for the European regions. The results indicate that there will be no major changes in these long-run solutions for lower income states in the Markov chain and that effects on higher income states will be...

Using Labour Force Survey individual-level data recently released by the Italian Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) where information is for the first time at available at provincial level, this paper looks at the short-term effects of the L’Aquila earthquake on labour market outcomes. Our...

This paper analyses the extent to which peer influence on adolescent weight differs in a typical southern European country and in the United States, two geographical areas characterised by different economic, socio-cultural and environmental patterns. Our study is based on a survey of secondary...

It is generally accepted that fiscal decentralization increases citizens control over politicians, fostering accountability and increasing efficiency. This article identifies the socioeconomic characteristics of citizens (potential voters) that increase their control over local policy-makers and...

Neoclassic economic growth studies should considerate differentiation of economies taking into account structural parameters for different groups of regions. The estimation of Verdoorn law conditioning by means of initial levels of some structural parameters allows confirming the idea to...

This paper estimates the impact of BMI, obesity and overweight on direct medical costs. We apply panel data econometrics and use a two-part model with a longitudinal dataset of medical and administrative records of patients in primary and secondary healthcare centres in Spain followed up over...

This paper discloses satisfaction with medical coverage as a key determinant factor of heath care utilization in Catalonia (Spain). We use data from the 2002 Catalan Health Interview Survey for exploring its relevance either for the event of the visit or the number of visits. In the two cases we...