Abstract Entrepreneurship research has increasingly acknowledged the role of health in shaping decision-making, yet limited attention has been given to chronic illnesses, particularly autoimmune disorders, and their effects on entrepreneurial behavior during crises. Drawing on Behavioral Decision Theory, this study examines how autoimmune symptoms interact with cognitive decision-making factors, bounded rationality, heuristics, and risk aversion, to influence entrepreneurial risk-taking in a multi-crisis context. Using survey data from 309 Lebanese entrepreneurs diagnosed with autoimmune conditions, the findings provide partial support for the proposed relationships. Bounded rationality shows a significant negative association with risk-taking, while heuristics and risk aversion exhibit no significant effects. Evidence for the moderating role of autoimmune flare-ups is mixed and limited, with only weak indications of interaction with bounded rationality. The study contributes to behavioral entrepreneurship by extending BDT to incorporate chronic health constraints and highlights the nuanced ways autoimmune conditions may shape entrepreneurial judgment in fragile environments.
Wahidi et al. (Thu,) studied this question.