Salary return and cardiovascular diseases: evidence for the Brazilian case

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to analyze the relationship between cardiovascular diseases and wages in Brazil based on data from the National Health Survey 2013. This relationship is analyzed using a two-stage empirical strategy. First, a propensity score matching is estimated to assess the prob¬ability of a worker reporting having a cardiovascular disease. In the second step, an unconditional quantile regression model is estimated, in which the propensity score is used as a weight to ensure the conditions of balance in the common support groups. The results indicated that individuals who reported having a cardiovascular disease have wage losses around 11%. The evidence found indicates that primary prevention of cardiovascular disease will improve outcomes in the labor market. Furthermore, secondary prevention and treatment, if they can reduce the complications of the disease, can also have a significant impact on wages and the labor market.