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The impact of social workers on infant mortality in inter-war Tokyo: Bayesian dynamic panel quantile regression with endogenous variables

Author

Listed:
  • Kota Ogasawara

    (Department of Social Engineering, Graduate School of Decision Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1, Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 152-8552, Japan)

  • Genya Kobayashi

    (Faculty of Law, Politics & Economics, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan)

Abstract

Although no comprehensive sickness insurance system existed in Japan until the mid-twentieth century, the infant mortality rate in Japan started to decline from the early twentieth century onwards, specifically owing to health improvements in low-income areas. This paper focuses on the impact of social workers called Homen iin on reducing the infant mortality rate in inter-war Tokyo. These social workers were in charge of the medical casework and provided access to medical treatment for low-income households under the District Committees System. To examine how the activities of these social workers influenced infant mortality, this paper analyses panel data for Tokyo between 1926 and 1937. By employing the dynamic panel quantile regression approach, it is found that the activities of social workers played a vital role in mitigating the risk of infant mortality, especially in areas that had a higher infant mortality rate.

Suggested Citation

  • Kota Ogasawara & Genya Kobayashi, 2015. "The impact of social workers on infant mortality in inter-war Tokyo: Bayesian dynamic panel quantile regression with endogenous variables," Cliometrica, Journal of Historical Economics and Econometric History, Association Française de Cliométrie (AFC), vol. 9(1), pages 97-130, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:afc:cliome:v:9:y:2015:i:1:p:97-130
    DOI: 10.1007/s11698-014-0110-1
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Kota Ogasawara & Ian Gazeley & Eric B. Schneider, 2020. "Nutrition, Crowding, And Disease Among Low‐Income Households In Tokyo In 1930," Australian Economic History Review, Economic History Society of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 60(1), pages 73-104, March.
    2. Tatsuki Inoue & Kota Ogasawara, 2018. "Chain effects of clean water: The Mills-Reincke phenomenon in early twentieth-century Japan," Papers 1805.00875, arXiv.org, revised Aug 2019.
    3. Ogasawara, Kota, 2018. "Health and education during industrialization: Evidence from early twentieth century Japan," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 40-54.
    4. Schneider, Eric B. & Ogasawara, Kota, 2018. "Disease and child growth in industrialising Japan: Critical windows and the growth pattern, 1917–39," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 64-80.
    5. Stefan Bauernschuster & Anastasia Driva & Erik Hornung, 2020. "Bismarck’s Health Insurance and the Mortality Decline [Disease and Development: The Effect of Life Expectancy on Economic Growth]," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 18(5), pages 2561-2607.
    6. Kota Ogasawara & Shinichiro Shirota & Genya Kobayashi, 2018. "Public health improvements and mortality in interwar Tokyo: a Bayesian disease mapping approach," Cliometrica, Springer;Cliometric Society (Association Francaise de Cliométrie), vol. 12(1), pages 1-31, January.
    7. Damian Clarke & Manuel Llorca Jaña & Daniel Pailañir, 2023. "The use of quantile methods in economic history," Historical Methods: A Journal of Quantitative and Interdisciplinary History, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 56(2), pages 115-132, April.
    8. Kota Ogasawara, 2018. "Consumption smoothing in the working-class households of interwar Japan," Papers 1807.05737, arXiv.org, revised Feb 2024.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Dynamic panel data; Endogenous variable; Infant mortality; Quantile regression; Social worker;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C11 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Bayesian Analysis: General
    • C23 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models
    • H41 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Public Goods
    • 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
    • N35 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - Asia including Middle East

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