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The effects of national culture and human development on environmental health

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Abstract

While there is considerable research on environmental performance of countries, there is very little that focuses on environmental health as a component of environmental performance and how environmental health is affected by national culture and human development. This study proposes and empirically tests three models that examine the effects of cultural values and human development on environmental health by incorporating different variables from Human Development Index, Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions, and Environmental Performance Index. Multiple linear regression models were employed to test the hypotheses on a sample of 67 countries. Empirical results conclude that cultural dimensions of individualism and uncertainty avoidance, as well as human development components of life expectancy at birth, education, and income significantly influence environmental health performance of countries when we execute separate models. A combined model of the effects of national culture and human development on environmental health, however, shows only significant effects of human development components. Theoretical and policy implications are discussed.

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  1. Environmental Management, Earth and Environmental Studies, College of Science and Mathematics, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ, 07043, USA

    Naz Onel

  2. Department of Marketing, School of Business, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ, 07043, USA

    Naz Onel & Avinandan Mukherjee

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  1. Naz Onel
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  2. Avinandan Mukherjee
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Onel, N., Mukherjee, A. The effects of national culture and human development on environmental health. Environ Dev Sustain 16, 79–101 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-013-9464-y

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