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In utero exposure to natural disasters and later-life mortality: Evidence from earthquakes in the early twentieth century

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  • Noghanibehambari, Hamid

Abstract

A growing body of research explores the effects of prenatal insults caused by natural disasters on life-cycle outcomes. This paper joins the literature by exploring the long-run effects of prenatal exposure to earthquakes on adulthood and old-age mortality. Using Social Security Administration death records (1975–2005) linked with the full-count 1940 US census and implementing a difference-in-difference methodology, I show that exposure during the first trimester is associated with 1.8 months lower longevity, conditional on survival up to age 34. This effect is equivalent to 22 percent of the white-nonwhite gap in the outcome. The results implicate the relevance of the in-utero period and specifically the onset of pregnancy for later-life health outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Noghanibehambari, Hamid, 2022. "In utero exposure to natural disasters and later-life mortality: Evidence from earthquakes in the early twentieth century," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 307(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:307:y:2022:i:c:s0277953622004956
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115189
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    Cited by:

    1. Hamid Noghanibehambari & Jason Fletcher, 2022. "Dust to Feed, Dust to Grey: The Effect of In-Utero Exposure to the Dust Bowl on Old-Age Longevity," NBER Working Papers 30531, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Noghanibehambari, Hamid & Engelman, Michal, 2022. "Social insurance programs and later-life mortality: Evidence from new deal relief spending," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Mortality; Longevity; Natural disasters; Historical data; Prenatal stress; Earthquake;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I14 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Inequality
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J14 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of the Elderly; Economics of the Handicapped; Non-Labor Market Discrimination
    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming

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