Provincial healthcare expenditures and household spending: Impact on life expectancy trends in Canada
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5931/djim.v19i1.12378Abstract
Life expectancy reflects a multitude of factors and mirrors the cultural, social, economic, and health conditions prevalent in a society. Calculated at birth, life expectancy is the average number of years an individual anticipates living. The focus of this inquiry is to understand the distinctive contributions of public healthcare expenditures and household healthcare costs in individual Canadian provinces and their implications for life expectancy trend. A random effects regression approach to panel data model, which assumes individual differences are random and not correlated with the independent variables, was applied to analyze the relationship between independent variables, public healthcare expenditure, household healthcare spending, , education levels on life expectancy as dependent variable. Data were collected for nine Canadian provinces, grouped according to life expectancy, public healthcare expenditure, household healthcare spending, , and education levels, over 16 years (2007-2022). Results show a positive correlation between household healthcare spending, , and education levels with life expectancy, while there is a negative correlation between public healthcare expenditure and life expectancy. The findings of this study suggest the need for efficient allocation of public health funds, support for household healthcare expenditures, economic growth, and investment in education to improve health outcomes. Policymakers may consider these findings to formulate comprehensive strategies that address the diverse determinants of health and enhance the overall well-being of Canadians.
Keywords: life expectancy, public healthcare expenditure, household healthcare spending
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