Wealth or Religiosity: Which One Triumphs Over Illness in Bhutan

Abstract

The association between household wealth and health outcomes has been researched well but religiosity in explaining health outcomes is non-existent. Hence, the main objective of this study is to analyze the relationship between household wealth, religiosity and illness in Bhutan at a household level. Employing the Bhutan Living Standard Survey data of 2012, this article uses a constructed household wealth index, a religiosity dummy variable and other household covariates in establishing the relationship. Instrument variable regression is also performed to control for possible endogeneity. Findings from the Tobit regression suggest that household wealth is more likely to reduce illness while religiosity is more likely to escalate illness. Therefore, fostering economic status of the households is important to reduce illness, while people should be educated to visit health care facilities instead of confining to religious practice in solving morbidity.