健康風險認知、減重需求與其願付價值

Health Risk Perception, Demand, and Willingness to Pay for Weight Reduction

本文旨在建立一兩階段模型探討影響國人肥胖減重需求之因素，並衡量在三個月內減重五公斤之新減重療程的願付價值。在第一階段模型，將個人健康風險認知納入模型內，並探討影響國人減重需求之因素。本文利用「台灣地區心臟血管疾病風險因子研究之社區型追蹤整合調查」(CVDFACTS)資料進行實證研究，並利用聯立模型加以估計，估計結果顯示，肥胖的風險認知對減重之需求有顯著影響，就社會經濟變數方面，性別、年齡、所得與工作狀態對減重之需求有顯著影響。除此之外，肥胖程度增加會使得對減重的需求機率將增加，而家族裏有人曾罹患與肥胖相關之疾病，亦會增加對減重的需求。其次，利用雙界二分選擇模型估計減重之願付價值，結果指出每人願意支付價格大約為3,388至4,689元，女性之願付價值高於男性，其中願付價值之影響因子為年齡，所得多寡，肥胖程度外，還受肥胖是否影響工作之升遷之認知、是否曾經控制過體重所影響。模擬分析的結果指出，女性、身體質量指數(body mass index,BMI)高者、高所得與高肥胖風險認知等願付較高價格減重。

This study investigates factors that affect sample respondents' demand for weight reduction, incorporating the obesity health risk perception, and further develops a means to estimate their willingness to pay (WTP) for a therapy of obesity prevention using survey data of CVDFACTS. As for the decision to participate in an obesity prevention therapy, we find that gender, age, income and job status, BMI, and family illness history are important and significant determinants for respondents. In addition, the results also present that the concerns on social and martial relations as affected by obesity are important and significant determinants. The doubled-bound dichotomous choice model estimates the respondents' WTP. The model estimates that the average willingness to pay for an obesity prevention therapy, which could reduce weight by 5 kilograms in 3 months, is NT$3,388 for the male and NT$4,689 for the female sample respondents, respectively. Furthermore, this study notes that age, income, the concern that work achievement is affected by obesity, and those who have tried to control their weight are important and significant determinants of the WTP. The results of the profile analysis suggest that obese females with high income, high health risk perception, and who have tried to control their weight are the most likely to be willing to pay the greatest amount for the weight-reduction therapy.