Markets and the health of indigenous people: A methodological contribution

Researchers disagree on whether markets and acculturation hurt, help, or produce ambiguous effects on the health of indigenous people as they become part of market economies. Past researchers have generally not measured the separate effects of markets and acculturation on health, nor have they controlled for the effect of third variables. A multivariate probit model is used to analyze the effects of integration to the market on morbidity among 106 Mojeno and 63 Yuracare Indian male heads of household in the Bolivian rain forest. Regressions were run controlling for acculturation and for many personal, household, and village variables. Irrespective of how one defines integration to the market, markets seemed to exert weak effects on health. The inclusion of third variables probably robs markets of some of their traditional explanatory power. Only the use of farm chemicals was associated with more self-reported illness, perhaps because its use allows people to take time off when ill. Results cast doubt on the common notion that participation in the market hurts the health of indigenous people and highlights the need for a multivariate approach in estimating the effect of explanatory variables.