"Placebo Tests" for the Impacts of Air Pollution on Health: The Challenge of Limited Healthcare Infrastructure

Arbeitspapier

When examining the impacts of exposure to air pollution on health outcomes, researchers usually carry out "placebo tests" to provide evidence in support of their identification assumption. In general, this exercise targets health conditions seemingly unrelated to air pollution. In this study, we argue that one should proceed with caution when running such falsification tests. If healthcare infrastructure is limited, when we observe health shocks such as those driven by air pollution, the infrastructure needs to be adjusted to meet the increased demand by canceling or rescheduling elective and non-urgent procedures, for example. As a result, even health conditions seemingly unrelated to air pollution may be indirectly affected by pollution.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: IZA Discussion Papers ; No. 14080

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Health and Economic Development ; Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling ; Environment and Development; Environment and Trade; Sustainability; Environmental Accounts and Accounting; Environmental Equity; Population Growth ; Economic Development: Agriculture; Natural Resources; Energy; Environment; Other Primary Products
• Subject: placebo tests ; air pollution ; healthcare infrastructure ; health outcomes ; hospitalization for respiratory diseases and other causes

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Guidetti, Bruna ; Pereda, Paula ; Severnini, Edson R.
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
• (where): Bonn
• (when): 2021

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/232832
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:43 AM CET