The worldwide COVID-19 vaccination program is already underway, raising hopes and aspirations to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic that halted economic and social activities. However, the issue of vaccine effectiveness and its side-effects is influencing the potential acceptance of vaccines. In this uncertain situation, we used data from a nationwide survey in Japan during February 2021, following the Japanese government’s initial phase of COVID-19 vaccination. Our results show that 47% of the respondents are willing to take a vaccine once it is available, while 22% are not willing and another 31% remain indecisive. Our ordered probit regression results show that demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral variables such as gender, age, subjective health status, children, household income, household assets, financial literacy, future anxiety, and myopic view of the future are associated with willingness to take a COVID-19 vaccine. Our findings suggest that Japan’s government should not adopt a one-size-fits-all policy to promote the vaccination program, but rather target people with specific socioeconomic backgrounds who are less willing and more hesitant to take a vaccine.

Smoking is still a serious economic, health, and social problem despite various efforts to curb its prevalence. We examined the influence of financial literacy and financial education on the smoking behavior in the United States in terms of the use of rational decision-making abilities to reduce irrational behavior. We hypothesized that financial literacy and financial education, as proxies for rational decision making, would reduce the likelihood of smoking. We used data from the Preference Parameters Study (PPS) of Osaka University conducted in the United States in 2010 and applied probit regression models to test our hypothesis on a sample of 3831 individuals. We found that financially literate people are less likely to be smokers, though we found no clear role of financial education in reducing the likelihood of smoking. Further, respondents’ gender, age, unemployment status, and risky health behaviors such as drinking and gambling, have a significantly positive association with smoking, while marital status, university degree, family size, household income, household assets, physical exercise, and level of happiness have a significantly negative association. Our findings suggest that financial literacy, as an instrument encouraging rational decision making, could be a tool to help reduce smoking in the United States.

Alcohol consumption is an important public health issue in Japan due to its association with numerous side effects. Recent studies find that financial literacy helps people abstain from risky health behaviors such as smoking, lack of exercise, and gambling. This study investigates how financial literacy, as a rational decision-making instrument, is associated with alcohol consumption behavior in Japan. Using data from the Preference Parameter Study (PPS) of Osaka University, we categorize respondents into daily drinkers and non-daily drinkers. We find that financial literacy is not significantly associated with alcohol consumption among Japanese people. We argue that the prevailing social belief that alcohol consumption is not entirely negative from the health perspective and can be beneficial for socialization to some extent overrides people’s rationality and plays a significant role in alcohol consumption decisions. However, our study provides evidence that respondents who are males, middle-aged, have children, have higher household income, have smoking habits, and place more importance on the future are more likely to be daily drinkers. We argue that the availability and easy access to alcohol drinking opportunities likely make people irrational and tempts them to drink frequently. Thus, authorities might consider revising current policies regarding alcohol availability and accessibility to limit alcohol consumption.

The Journal of Brain Health is a peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary, open access journal advancing global brain health research with a focus on equity, inclusion, and scientific excellence. Founded by a group including Atlantic Fellows for Equity in Brain Health, the Journal aims to elevate the science of brain health by including underrepresented voices in research to promote access to credible, context-relevant science for all. We publish original research, perspectives, and commentary that reflect the transdisciplinary and global nature of brain health.