| Summary: | 碩士 === 中國醫藥學院 === 環境醫學研究所 === 91 === Theoretically, so far there is very limited understanding on the relationship between time preference and other variables. Empirically, health education is the most common reaction of the public health workers when facing the issues of substance consumption such as tobacco, alcohol and betelnut. This reaction ignores the effect of time preference on health behavior, and the fact that health education cannot influence the time preference of individuals. This research is likely to challenge the concept of health education and the way public health workers attack the behavior of substance consumption.
A cross-sectional survey with a systematic sampling, and face-to-face interviews were conducted in 2002. The analysis is based on the data of 700 persons aged 18 or over who completed a questionnaire, which included demographic characteristics, SF-36, health knowledge, substance consumption and time preference. The purpose of the study is to explore the relationship among time preference, the cumulative consumption of tobacco, alcohol and betelnut, and health knowledge.
The main result shows that time preference will significantly affect tobacco and betelnut consumption, but will not affect alcohol consumption. Health knowledge will significantly affect alcohol consumption, but will not affect tobacco and betel consumption.
As a result of time preference has more influence on health behavior than health knowledge, it suggests to affect time preference not only by improving whole health and quality of life, but also increasing health tax. Besides, the effects of health knowledge on alcohol consumption is still powerful, it is essential to keep on carrying out health education.
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