TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2013//
TI  - Exploring the relationship between macroeconomic conditions and problem drinking as captured by Google searches in the US
JO  - Social science and medicine (1982)
A1  - Frijters, Paul
A1  - Johnston, David W.
A1  - Lordan, Grace
A1  - Shields, Michael A.
SP  - 61
EP  - 68
VL  - 84
IS  - 
N2  - There is considerable policy interest in the impact of macroeconomic conditions on health-related behaviours and outcomes. This paper sheds new light on this issue by exploring the relationship between macroeconomic conditions and an indicator of problem drinking derived from state-level data on alcoholism-related Google searches conducted in the US over the period 2004-2011. We find the current recessionary period coincided with an almost 20% increase in alcoholism-related searches. Controlling for state and time-effects, a 5% rise in unemployment is followed in the next 12 months by an approximate 15% increase in searches. The use of Internet searches to inform on health-related behaviours and outcomes is in its infancy; but we suggest that the data provides important real-time information for policy-makers and can help to overcome the under-reporting in surveys of sensitive information.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0277-9536
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2013.01.028
ID  - ref1
ER  -