Does risky behaviour matter for self-reported health status? Evidence from Ghana’s adult population

Purpose This study aims to evaluate the effects of risky behaviour on self-reported health status among the adult population in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach The study uses data from the Ghana Socioeconomic Panel Survey, a nationally representative dataset. Current research focuses on the Ghanaian adult population aged 18 years and above. The study used the endogenous treatment effect for ordered outcomes to address the endogeneity problem and self-selection bias related to risky behaviour decisions. Findings The results show that risky behaviour decreases the likelihood of reporting good health by 16.3% while increasing the probability that an individual will report unhealthy/somewhat unhealthy and somewhat healthy by 5% and 11.3%, respectively. These findings reveal that risky behaviour worsens the health status of smokers and drinkers, leading to poor health. The findings show that women and rural inhabitants are more negatively impacted by risky behaviour than men are, and urban residents in terms of self-reported good health status. The sensitivity analysis suggests that individuals self-perceived that drinking alcohol is worse for their health than smoking is. Originality/value The research contributes fresh empirical evidence to the somewhat limited body of work that explores the effects of risky behaviour on self-reported health, using nationally representative data from Ghana. Also, the study uses the endogenous treatment effect for ordered outcomes to address endogeneity concerns and self-selection bias involving risk behaviour decisions.