Life expectancy and education: evidence from the cardiovascular revolution

TY - JOUR

T1 - Life expectancy and education

T2 - evidence from the cardiovascular revolution

AU - Hansen, Casper Worm

AU - Strulik, Holger

PY - 2017/12/1

Y1 - 2017/12/1

N2 - This paper exploits the unexpected decline in the death rate from cardiovascular diseases since the 1970s as a large positive health shock that affected predominantly old-age mortality; i.e. the fourth stage of the epidemiological transition. Using a difference-in-differences estimation strategy, we find that US states with higher mortality rates from cardiovascular disease prior to the 1970s experienced greater increases in adult life expectancy and higher education enrollment. Our estimates suggest that a one-standard deviation higher treatment intensity is associated with an increase in adult life expectancy of 0.37 years and 0.07–0.15 more years of higher education.

AB - This paper exploits the unexpected decline in the death rate from cardiovascular diseases since the 1970s as a large positive health shock that affected predominantly old-age mortality; i.e. the fourth stage of the epidemiological transition. Using a difference-in-differences estimation strategy, we find that US states with higher mortality rates from cardiovascular disease prior to the 1970s experienced greater increases in adult life expectancy and higher education enrollment. Our estimates suggest that a one-standard deviation higher treatment intensity is associated with an increase in adult life expectancy of 0.37 years and 0.07–0.15 more years of higher education.

KW - Faculty of Social Sciences

KW - Adult life expectancy

KW - Higher education

KW - Cardiovascular diseases

KW - Difference-in-differences strategy

U2 - 10.1007/s10887-017-9147-x

DO - 10.1007/s10887-017-9147-x

M3 - Journal article

SN - 1381-4338

VL - 22

SP - 421

EP - 450

JO - Journal of Economic Growth

JF - Journal of Economic Growth

IS - 4

ER -