AEA Papers and Proceedings
ISSN 2574-0768 (Print) | ISSN 2574-0776 (Online)
Explaining the Atomistic versus Ecological Fallacies in SES-Health Gradients
AEA Papers and Proceedings
(pp. 150–155)
Abstract
A large literature in economics and public health studies the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and health, often relying on area-based measures when individual data are unavailable. Using comprehensive Dutch administrative data, we examine how data aggregation shapes estimated income-health gradients through ecological and atomistic biases. Individual and area income capture distinct but correlated channels, such as personal resources and local conditions. Spatial aggregation reduces variation and attenuates nonlinearities, leading area-level estimates to overstate gradients and reduce robustness to controls. Interaction analyses reveal unequal exposure: Health of low-income households appears substantially more sensitive to neighborhood conditions than that of high-income households.Citation
Parker, William, and Johannes Spinnewijn. 2026. "Explaining the Atomistic versus Ecological Fallacies in SES-Health Gradients." AEA Papers and Proceedings 116: 150–155. DOI: 10.1257/pandp.20261074Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- D31 Personal Income, Wealth, and Their Distributions
- I12 Health Behavior
- I14 Health and Inequality