The Diffusion of Health Technologies: Cultural and Biological Divergence

Casper Worm Hansen

doi:10.1016/j.euroecorev.2013.08.001

The Diffusion of Health Technologies: Cultural and Biological Divergence

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

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.

Original language	English
Journal	European Economic Review
Volume	64
Pages (from-to)	21-34
ISSN	0014-2921
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euroecorev.2013.08.001
Publication status	Published - Nov 2013
Externally published	Yes

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10.1016/j.euroecorev.2013.08.001

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title = "The Diffusion of Health Technologies: Cultural and Biological Divergence",

abstract = "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.",

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T2 - Cultural and Biological Divergence

AU - Hansen, Casper Worm

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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

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VL - 64

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EP - 34

JO - European Economic Review

JF - European Economic Review

ER -

The Diffusion of Health Technologies: Cultural and Biological Divergence

Abstract

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