[081008] 경기가 나빠질수록 건강은 더 좋아진다?

 

[윤희영의 News English] 경기가 나빠질수록 건강은 더 좋아진다?

The worse the economy is, the better the health condition gets.

Economic Conditions and Health Behaviors:

 

 

‘치마 길이 이론’은 여성들의 치마 길이에 따라 경제를 측정하는 진부한 방식을 일컫는다. 치마 길이가 짧아지면 활황, 길어지면 약세시장으로 갈 전망이 크다는 것이다. 하지만 치마길이와 시장동향 관계에 경험적 증거를 제공한 연구결과는 별로 없었다. 그렇다면 경제와 국민건강 간에는 어떤 상관 관계가 있을까? 경기침체가 개인 건강에 미치는 영향은 놀라울 정도로 복합적인 양상을 보인다. 경기가 나빠질수록 건강은 좋아진다는 역설적 현상도 나타난다.

Skirt Length Theory refers to the outdated way of measuring the economy based on the length of women’s skirts. When the length of it becomes shorter, the economy is expected to be bullish, and when it becomes longer, the outlook will have high possibility of a bearish market. However, there have been only few research studies to provide empirical proof of the relationship between skirt length and market direction. Then, what sort of correlation exists between the economy and national health? The economic downturn yields surprisingly mixed aspects for an individual’s health. Also, it indicates a paradoxical phenomenon that the economic downturn helps national health better.

 

 

장기적인 경제성장이 국민의 전반적 건강 향상으로 이어지는 것은 개도국이나 선진국이나 마찬가지다. 하지만 현재의 경기침체가 당신의 건강에 악영향을 끼치는가 여부는 호경기 시절 당신이 갖고 있던 건강습관에 달려있다. 뉴욕타임스(NYT)가 보도한 경제학 연구들에 따르면 사람들은 호경기일수록 자신들을 잘 돌보지 않는 경향이 있는 것으로 나타났다. 경기가 호황일 때는 술을 너무 많이 마시고, 기름진 식사를 하게 되고, 일과 관련된 시간약속 때문에 운동 및 의사와의 약속을 빼먹는 경우가 많다.

Long-term economic gains lead to improvements in a population’s overhaul health in both developing and industrialized countries alike. However, whether the current economic slump will take a toll on your own health depends on your health habits when were good. According to economic studies reported by NYT, people tend not to take care of themselves in boom times. At the time of the economic upturn, people drink too much and dine on fat-laden meals, and often skip exercise or doctors’ appointment because of work-related time commitments.

 

 

스탠퍼드 의대 조교수 그랜트 밀러 박사는 “경기가 좋은 시절에는 시간의 가치가 더 높아진다”며 “사람들은 일을 더 하는 대신 운동 등 자신들에게 좋은 것은 덜 하고 과중한 업무의 어려움으로 인한 더 많은 스트레스를 겪게 된다”고 말한다. 콜롬비아 커피 가격 등락이 국민건강에 미치는 효과를 연구해온 밀러 박사는 “개도국들에서도 비슷한 양상이 나타난다”고 밝혔다. “가격 하락이 경제에는 악영향을 미치지만, 국민건강과 사망률은 향상시킨다”는 것이다. 한 예로 콜롬비아에선 커피 가격이 낮아질수록 근로자들이 자녀들을 돌볼 더 많은 시간을 갖는 것으로 조사됐다. 밀러 박사에 따르면 농촌지역에서 영·유아의 건강에 가장 중요한 요소들은 돈보다는 상당한 시간을 필요로 하는 것들이다. 모유 수유, 멀리서 깨끗한 물 떠오는 일, 무료 백신접종을 위해 먼 거리의 진료소로 아이들을 데려가는 것 등이 모두 시간을 요하는 것이어서 부모들이 일 때문에 바쁜 호경기 시절엔 오히려 영유아 사망률이 높아진다.

At the time of the economic upturn, the value of time increases, so people do less of the things good for them and experience more stress due to the rigors of hard work, said Dr. Grant Miller, assistant professor of medicine at Standford. He has researched the effects of fluctuating coffee prices on health in Colombia said among the developing countries has similar patterns. “Falling prices have an evil influence on the economy, but improve health and mortality rates.” For example, in Colombia, it was found that as coffee prices fall, workers have more time to care for their children. According to his studies, in rural areas, the most important factors for infant and child health is the things that require a substantial amount of time rather than money: breast-feeing, bringing clean water from far away, taking children to a distant health clinic for free vaccinations. All those are time-requiring works, so that during the economic boom when parents are busy to their work, the infant and child mortality rates increase.

 

 

노스캐롤라이나 대학의 크리스토퍼 럼 박사가 1972~1991년 경제변동과 실업률과 대비해 사망률과 건강 양태를 측정한 분석도 밀러 박사의 논리를 뒷받침한다. 럼 박사의 연구결과에 따르면, 1974년과 1982년 경기침체기에는 사망률이 급격히 하락했다가 1980년대 경기회복기에는 상승했다. 실업률이 1%포인트 상승하면 사망률은 0.5%포인트 하락하는 역설적인 상관관계를 보였다. 전체적으로는 대부분 경기 하락세를 보인 20년 기간엔 심장질환과 교통사고 감소에 힘입어 사망률이 8% 이상 하락한 것으로 나타났다.

An analysis, carried out by Dr. Christopher Lum in North Carolina University, measuring death rate and health behavior compared with the economic shifts and jobless rate or unemployment rate between 1972 and 1991 supports the idea above. According to his analysis, while a period of economic downturn between 1974 and 1982, the death rate fell(decline) sharply, during the economy recovery in 1980s, it rises. There seems to be a paradoxical correlation that the increase of 1%p in the rate of unemployment leads 0.5%p drop in the death rate. Overall, during the period of 20-years sustained economic downturn, the death rate falls by more than 8%, owing to the decrease in the heart disease and the number of car accidents.

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[Reference]:

https://economychosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2023/05/29/2023052900039.html

https://www.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2008/10/08/2008100801462.html

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(Skirt Length Theory)

(measure the economy based on the length of women’s skirts)

(outdated way)

(bullish)

(bearish market)

(outlook)

(provide empirical proof of the relationship of skirt length to market direction)

(what sort of correlation)

(economic downturn)

(individual’s health)

(surprisingly mixed aspects)

(paradoxical phenomenon)

(long-term economic gains)

(lead to improvements in a population’s overhaul health)

(developing and industrialized countries alike)

(whether the current economic slump will take a toll on your own health)

(depend on your health habits when times were good)

(economic studies)

(tend not to take care of themselves in boom times)

(drink too much)

(dine on fat-laden meals)

(because of work-related time commitments)

(skip exercise and doctors’ appointments)

(assistant professor of medicine at Stanford)

(value of time)

(do less of the things good for them)

(experience more stress due to the rigors of hard work)

(effects of fluctuating coffee prices on health in Colombia)

(similar patterns)

(falling prices)

(have an evil influence)

(improve health and mortality rates)

(more time to care for their children)

(rural areas)

(most important factors for infant and child health)

(require a substantial amount of time)

(breast-feeding)

(bring clean water from far away)

(for free vaccinations)

(take children to a distant health clinic)

(infant and child mortality rates)

(compared to vs compared with)

(economic shifts)

(jobless rate or unemployment rate)

(analysis measuring death rate and health behavior)

(decline sharply)

(increase in the economic recovery of the 1980s)

(in the 20 year period of mostly economic decline)

(be led by drops in heart desease and car crashes)

(fall by more than 8%)