RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Relative Deprivation and Risky Behaviors
JF Journal of Human Resources
JO J Hum Resour
FD University of Wisconsin Press
SP 446
OP 471
DO 10.3368/jhr.49.2.446
VO 49
IS 2
A1 Ana I. Balsa
A1 Michael T. French
A1 Tracy L. Regan
YR 2014
UL http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/49/2/446.abstract
AB Relative deprivation has been associated with lower social and job satisfaction as well as adverse health outcomes. Using Add Health data, we examine whether a student’s relative socioeconomic status (SES) has a direct effect on substance use. We advance the existing literature by addressing selection and simultaneity bias and by focusing on a reference group likely to exert the most influence on the respondents. We find that relative deprivation is positively associated with alcohol consumption, drinking to intoxication, and smoking for adolescent males, but not for females. Alternative variable definitions and robustness checks confirm these findings.