title: Are natural resources bad for health?
abstract: The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine whether economic dependence on various natural resources is associated with lower investment in health, after controlling for countries' geographical and historical fixed effects, corruption, autocratic regimes, income levels, and initial health status. Employing panel data for 118 countries for the period 1990-2008, we find no compelling evidence in support of a negative effect of resources on healthcare spending and outcomes. On the contrary, higher dependence on agricultural exports is associated with higher healthcare spending, higher life expectancy, and lower diabetes rates. Similarly, healthcare spending increases with higher mineral intensity. Finally, more hydrocarbon resource rents are associated with less diabetes and obesity rates. There is however evidence that public health provision relative to the size of the economy declines with greater hydrocarbon resource-intensity; the magnitude of this effect is less severe in non-democratic countries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Economics and Finance, College of Business and Economics, United Arab Emirates University, P.O. Box 15551, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates; Department of Public Finance, Faculty of Commerce, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt. Electronic address: aelanshasy@uaeu.ac.ae.
authors.forename: Amany A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: El Anshasy
authors.affiliation: Department of Economics and Finance, College of Business and Economics, United Arab Emirates University, P.O. Box 15551, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. Electronic address: Selini.katsaiti@uaeu.ac.ae.
authors.forename: Marina-Selini
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Katsaiti
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture / Q000191:economics; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000191:economics; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D004736:Energy-Generating Resources; D014943:Global Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005102:Health Expenditures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008017:Life Expectancy; D000067936:Natural Resources; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D011634:Public Health / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
keywords: Healthcare spending; Natural resources; Obesity; Public health expenditure