Frijters, Paul, Johnston, David W., Lordan, Grace 
ORCID: 0000-0001-9081-6254 and Shields, Michael A.
(2013)
Exploring the relationship between macroeconomic conditions and problem drinking as captured by Google searches in the US.
Social Science & Medicine, 84.
pp. 61-68.
ISSN 0277-9536
Abstract
There is considerable policy interest in the impact of macroeconomic conditions on health-related behaviours and outcomes. This paper sheds new light on this issue by exploring the relationship between macroeconomic conditions and an indicator of problem drinking derived from state-level data on alcoholism-related Google searches conducted in the US over the period 2004-2011. We find the current recessionary period coincided with an almost 20% increase in alcoholism-related searches. Controlling for state and time-effects, a 5% rise in unemployment is followed in the next 12 months by an approximate 15% increase in searches. The use of Internet searches to inform on health-related behaviours and outcomes is in its infancy; but we suggest that the data provides important real-time information for policy-makers and can help to overcome the under-reporting in surveys of sensitive information.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Official URL: | http://www.journals.elsevier.com/social-science-an... |
| Additional Information: | © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. |
| Divisions: | Social Policy LSE Health |
| Subjects: | H Social Sciences > HC Economic History and Conditions H Social Sciences > HN Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social reform |
| Date Deposited: | 05 Apr 2013 10:20 |
| Last Modified: | 12 Nov 2025 00:14 |
| URI: | http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/49608 |
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