The Long-term Consequences of the Global 1918 Influenza Pandemic: A Systematic Analysis of 117 IPUMS International Census Data Sets

Arbeitspapier

Several country-level studies, including a prominent one for the United States, have identified long-term effects of in-utero exposure to the 1918 influenza pandemic (also known as the Spanish Flu) on economic outcomes in adulthood. In-utero conditions are theoretically linked to adult health and socioeconomic status through the fetal origins or Barker hypothesis. Historical exposure to the Spanish Flu provides a natural experiment to test this hypothesis. Although the Spanish Flu was a global phenomenon, with around 500 million people infected worldwide, there exists no comprehensive global study on its long-term economic effects. We attempt to close this gap by systematically analyzing 117 Census data sets provided by IPUMS International. We do not find consistent global long-term effects of influenza exposure on education, employment and disability outcomes. A series of robustness checks does not alter this conclusion. Our findings indicate that the existing evidence on long-term economic effects of the Spanish Flu is likely a consequence of publication bias.

Angaben zum Objekt

• Sprache: Englisch

Verweise und Beziehungen

• Erschienen in: Series: CINCH Series ; No. 2017/08

Klassifikation und Themen

• Klassifikation: Wirtschaft ; Health and Economic Development ; Economic History: Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy: General, International, or Comparative ; Comparative Studies of Countries
• Thema: Spanish Flu ; Fetal Origins Hypothesis

Beteiligte, Orts- und Zeitangaben

• Ereignis: Geistige Schöpfung
• (wer): Vollmer, Sebastian ; Wójcik, Juditha
• Ereignis: Veröffentlichung
• (wer): University of Duisburg-Essen, CINCH - Health Economics Research Center
• (wo): Essen
• (wann): 2017

Weitere Informationen

• DOI: doi:10.17185/duepublico/70970
• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/270572
• Letzte Aktualisierung: 10.03.2025, 11:42 MEZ