The Long Term Effect of 1957 Influenza on Education and Health－Evidence from Taiwan
Date Issued
2011
Date
2011
Author(s)
Tsou, Yu-Ling
Abstract
This paper uses the 1957 Asian influenza pandemic as a negative exogenous shock to study its long-term impact on education and health. We suggest a hypothesis that the development and health conditions of the fetus would be affected if mothers had experience this disease during pregnancy. And this impact would accordingly pose a serious threat to the fetus'' adulthood socioeconomic status. Data from the 1980 Taiwan Census indicate that cohorts in utero during the 1957 pandemic have lower educational attainment and higher unemployment rate. We find greater significant negative effects on educational performances if fetus experienced 1957 pandemic were in the first trimester of the prenatal period. Using women’s influenza infection rate as a proxy measure for exposure to prenatal infection, we may calculate that the unemployment rate would increase by 0.76% if fetus have experienced the 1957 pandemic. And influenza exposure during the first trimester of prenatal life would reduce their educational attainment by 0.054 years and high school graduation probability by 0.85%.
Subjects
fetal origins
Asian influenza
educational level
prenatal health
unemployment rate
Type
thesis
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