When Circumstances Are Stronger Than Habits: How Financial Stress Affects Smoking Cessation
HSE researchers have found that the likelihood of quitting smoking rises with increasing financial struggles. While low levels of financial difficulties do not affect smoking behaviour, moderate financial stress can increase the probability of quitting by 13% to 21%. Responses to high financial stress differ by gender: men are almost 1.5 times more likely to give up cigarettes than under normal conditions, whereas no significant effect is observed on women’s decisions to quit smoking. These conclusions are based on data from the Russia Longitudinal Monitoring Survey (RLMS-HSE) for 2000–2023 and have been published in Monitoring of Public Opinion: Economic and Social Changes.
Article in Social Indicators Research journal
Article "Interaction Between Job Satisfaction, Job Search and Job Change" by Larisa Smirnykh was published in Social Indicators Research journal.
HSE Economists Reveal the Secret to Strong Families
Researchers from the HSE Faculty of Economic Sciences have examined the key factors behind lasting marriages. The findings show that having children is the primary factor contributing to marital stability, while for couples without children, a greater income gap between spouses is associated with a stronger union. This is the conclusion reported in Applied Econometrics.
Slim vs Fat: Overweight Russians Earn Less
Overweight Russians tend to earn significantly less than their slimmer counterparts, with a 10% increase in body mass index (BMI) associated with a 9% decrease in wages. These are the findings made by Anastasiia Deeva, lecturer at the HSE Faculty of Economic Sciences and intern researcher in Laboratory of Economic Research in Public Sector. The article has been published in Voprosy Statistiki.
Earnings Inequality Declining in Russia
Earnings inequality in Russia has nearly halved over the past 25 years. The primary factors driving this trend are rising minimum wages, regional economic convergence, and shifts in the returns on education. Since 2019, a new phase of this process has been observed, with inequality continuing to decline but driven by entirely different mechanisms. These are the findings made by Anna Lukyanova, Assistant Professor at the HSE Faculty of Economic Sciences, in her new study. The results have been published in the Journal of the New Economic Association.
Conscientious Individuals Live Longer
Personality traits such as conscientiousness, emotional stability, and an internal locus of control significantly influence one's lifestyle and longevity. Not only can personality traits influence health through beneficial and harmful habits but can also have a direct effect on mortality. Higher conscientiousness reduces the risk of premature death by 20 percentage points, while higher neuroticism increases it by 12 percentage points. These are the findings from a new study by Ksenia Rozhkova, Junior Research Fellow at the Laboratory for Labour Market Studies of the HSE Faculty of Economic Sciences.
Alcohol Consumption by Young Russians Drops by Half, Study Says
The decrease could be even greater but for the drinking of parents
Openness to New Experience and Conscientiousness Can Add 8% and More to Employee Earnings
Positive noncognitive skills drive success
Acceptance of Vaccination Associated with Lower Social Media Use and Higher Trust in Government
Vaccination is generally considered an essential tool for curbing the COVID-19 pandemic. Although Russia was one of the first countries to develop a vaccine against COVID-19 and launched an immunisation campaign in 2021, its vaccination rates remained low for a long time. By October 2021, only 36% of Russian adults were vaccinated, many of whom were compelled by their employers to do so. Having examined the factors contributing to low trust in vaccination among Russians, HSE economists suggest measures to improve vaccination uptake. The paper is published in Vaccine.
One in Ten Women in Russia Is Single
Most often, this happens not in the pursuit of personal fulfilment, but is forced, after the loss of a partner