The impact of health risks on healthcare expenditure in European countries

Population health affects the sustainability of socio-economic development, the perceived personal risks being alcohol consumption, smoking and obesity, greenhouse gas emissions representing a common environmental risk. The aim of this research article is to examine the potential impact of risk factors on national health expenditure over the period 2013-2021 in selected European countries divided into several groups according to health risk indicators. We examine two basic models - a harmful consumption model and an environmental model, the main dependent variable being total healthcare expenditure. To analyse partial relationships between risky behaviour or air pollution and healthcare spending, linear panel regression models were constructed assessing how country characteristics contribute to explaining the variation in healthcare costs. The results of this study suggest that sustainable health financing would benefit from more effective prevention of increased unhealthy consumption.