Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey.
Georgia State University, Atlanta, USA.
Inquiry. 2024 Jan-Dec;61:469580241277449. doi: 10.1177/00469580241277449.
This study aims to examine how the subcomponents and overall measurement of ecological footprint, as well as the use of information and communication technologies, affect health expenditures. For this study, the sample group consisted of the top 25 countries with the highest ecological footprint for the period 2000 to 2021. System GMM estimation results demonstrate that economic growth and ecological footprint have a positive impact on health expenditures. Covid-19 dummy variables, have a statistically significant and positive effect on health expenditures. On the other hand, information and communication technologies has a statistically significant but negative effect on health expenditures. The estimation results show that the Covid-19 pandemic increased health expenditures. Looking at the effect of subcomponents of environmental degradation on health expenditures, all subcomponents have a statistically significant and positive effect on health expenditures. It is seen that the most effective variable is forest products. The variable that has almost the same impact as the footprint of forest products is the carbon footprint. Carbon footprint has significant and positive impact on health expenditures, followed by fishing grounds cropland, grazing land, built-up land. The results of the study indicate which forms of pollution should be given priority by policymakers in order to prevent an increase in health expenditure resulting from environmental degradation.
本研究旨在探讨生态足迹的子成分和总体衡量标准，以及信息和通信技术的使用如何影响医疗支出。在这项研究中，样本组由 2000 年至 2021 年生态足迹最高的 25 个国家组成。系统 GMM 估计结果表明，经济增长和生态足迹对医疗支出有正向影响。Covid-19 虚拟变量对医疗支出有统计学上显著的正向影响。另一方面，信息和通信技术对医疗支出有统计学上显著但负面的影响。估计结果表明，Covid-19 大流行增加了医疗支出。从环境退化的子成分对医疗支出的影响来看，所有子成分对医疗支出都有统计学上显著的正向影响。可以看出，最有效的变量是森林产品。与森林产品足迹几乎具有相同影响的变量是碳足迹。碳足迹对医疗支出有显著的正向影响，其次是渔业用地、耕地、建设用地。研究结果表明，政策制定者应该优先考虑哪些形式的污染，以防止因环境退化导致医疗支出增加。
