TY - JOUR
T1 - The Diffusion of Health Technologies
T2 - Cultural and Biological Divergence
AU - Hansen, Casper Worm
N1 - JEL classification: I15, J10, O11, O33
PY - 2013/11
Y1 - 2013/11
N2 - This paper proposes the hypothesis that genetic distance to the health frontier influences population health outcomes. Evidence from a world sample suggests that genetic distance, interpreted as long-term cultural and biological divergence, is an important factor in understanding health inequalities across countries. Specifically, the paper documents a remarkably robust negative link between genetic distance to the United States and population health-as measured by life expectancy at birth and the adult survival rate-even after accounting for an extensive set of possible confounders, such as GDP per capita and various climatic factors. Consistent with the interpretation that genetic distance is related to population health indirectly through human barriers to the diffusion of modern health technologies, the evidence indicates that the gene gradient emerges at the onset of the international epidemiological transition.
AB - This paper proposes the hypothesis that genetic distance to the health frontier influences population health outcomes. Evidence from a world sample suggests that genetic distance, interpreted as long-term cultural and biological divergence, is an important factor in understanding health inequalities across countries. Specifically, the paper documents a remarkably robust negative link between genetic distance to the United States and population health-as measured by life expectancy at birth and the adult survival rate-even after accounting for an extensive set of possible confounders, such as GDP per capita and various climatic factors. Consistent with the interpretation that genetic distance is related to population health indirectly through human barriers to the diffusion of modern health technologies, the evidence indicates that the gene gradient emerges at the onset of the international epidemiological transition.
U2 - 10.1016/j.euroecorev.2013.08.001
DO - 10.1016/j.euroecorev.2013.08.001
M3 - Journal article
SN - 0014-2921
VL - 64
SP - 21
EP - 34
JO - European Economic Review
JF - European Economic Review
ER -