Does in utero exposure to illness matter? The 1918 influenza epidemic in taiwan as a natural experiment
Journal
Journal of Health Economics
Journal Volume
37
Journal Issue
1
Pages
152-163
Date Issued
2014
Author(s)
Liu, Elaine M.
Abstract
This paper tests whether in utero conditions affect long-run developmental outcomes using the 1918 influenza pandemic in Taiwan as a natural experiment. Combining several historical and current datasets, we find that cohorts in utero during the pandemic are shorter as children/adolescents and less educated compared to other birth cohorts. We also find that they are more likely to have serious health problems including kidney disease, circulatory and respiratory problems, and diabetes in old age. Despite possible positive selection on health outcomes due to high infant mortality rates during this period (18%), our paper finds a strong negative impact of in utero exposure to influenza. ? 2014 Elsevier B.V.
Subjects
Disease and mortality; Education; Fetal origins hypothesis; Height; influenza
SDGs
Other Subjects
child health; cohort analysis; epidemic; health education; health impact; infant mortality; influenza; adolescent health; anthropometric parameters; article; biostatistics; body height; child health; childbirth; cohort analysis; diabetes mellitus; disease severity; educational status; empirical research; epidemic; fetus outcome; health hazard; health status; human; infant mortality; kidney disease; maternal mortality; middle school; prenatal development; prenatal exposure; prevalence; primary school; public health; respiratory tract disease; Spanish influenza; Taiwan; time series analysis; vascular disease; anthropometry; complication; educational status; female; fetus development; health status; history; Influenza, Human; male; maternal exposure; pandemic; pregnancy; prenatal exposure; risk; socioeconomics; very elderly; Taiwan; Aged, 80 and over; Anthropometry; Cohort Studies; Educational Status; Female; Fetal Development; Health Status; History, 20th Century; Humans; Influenza, Human; Male; Maternal Exposure; Pandemics; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; Risk; Socioeconomic Factors; Taiwan
Type
journal article