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Infant Health, Women's Fertility, and Rural Electrification in the United States, 1930–1960

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  • Lewis, Joshua

Abstract

From 1930 to 1960 rural communities, mainly in the U.S. South and Southwest, gained access to electricity. In addition to lights, the benefits included easier clothes washing, refrigeration, and pumped water. This article uses differences in the timing of electricity access across rural counties to study the effects on infant mortality and fertility. Rural electrification led to substantial reductions in infant mortality but had little effect on women's fertility. The increase in electricity access between 1930 and 1960 can account for 15 to 19 percent of the decline in rural infant mortality during this period.

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  • Lewis, Joshua, 2018. "Infant Health, Women's Fertility, and Rural Electrification in the United States, 1930–1960," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 78(1), pages 118-154, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:jechis:v:78:y:2018:i:01:p:118-154_00
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    Cited by:

    1. Daniela Vidart, 2024. "Human Capital, Female Employment, and Electricity: Evidence from the Early 20th-Century United States," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 91(1), pages 560-594.
    2. Clay, Karen & Lewis, Joshua & Severnini, Edson R., 2023. "The Historical Impact of Coal on Cities," IZA Discussion Papers 16229, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Liam Delaney & Mark E. McGovern & James P. Smith, 2024. "Infant Mortality in Mother and Baby Homes in 20th Century Ireland," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 43(5), pages 1-22, October.
    4. Fujii, Tomoki & Shonchoy, Abu S., 2020. "Fertility and rural electrification in Bangladesh," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    5. Bellou, Andriana & Cardia, Emanuela, 2021. "The Great Depression and the rise of female employment: A new hypothesis," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    6. Clay, Karen & Lewis, Joshua & Severnini, Edson, 2024. "The historical impact of coal on cities," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    7. Lewis, Joshua & Severnini, Edson, 2020. "Short- and long-run impacts of rural electrification: Evidence from the historical rollout of the U.S. power grid," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    8. Katherine Eriksson & Gregory T. Niemesh & Melissa Thomasson, 2018. "Revising Infant Mortality Rates for the Early Twentieth Century United States," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 55(6), pages 2001-2024, December.
    9. Gregori Galofré-Vilà & Martin McKee & David Stuckler, 2022. "Quantifying the mortality impact of the 1935 old-age assistance," European Review of Economic History, European Historical Economics Society, vol. 26(1), pages 62-77.
    10. Galofré Vilà, Gregori, 2020. "Quantifying the impact of aid to dependent children: An epidemiological framework⁎," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    11. Heyes, Anthony & Saberian, Soodeh, 2022. "Hot Days, the ability to Work and climate resilience: Evidence from a representative sample of 42,152 Indian households," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    12. Sievert, Maximiliane & Steinbuks, Jevgenijs, 2020. "Willingness to pay for electricity access in extreme poverty: Evidence from sub-Saharan Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    13. Abel Brodeur & Lamis Kattan, 2022. "World War II, the Baby Boom, and Employment: County-Level Evidence," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 40(2), pages 437-471.
    14. Daniel Gallardo‐Albarrán, 2020. "Sanitary infrastructures and the decline of mortality in Germany, 1877–1913," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 73(3), pages 730-757, August.
    15. Richard S. J. Tol, 2023. "Navigating the energy trilemma during geopolitical and environmental crises," Papers 2301.07671, arXiv.org.
    16. Cuicui Ding & Khatib Ahmad Khan & Hauwah K. K. AbdulKareem & Siddharth Kumar & Leon Moise Minani & Shujaat Abbas, 2024. "Towards a healthier future for the achievement of SDGs: unveiling the effects of agricultural financing, energy poverty, human capital, and corruption on malnutrition," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-12, December.
    17. Perez Sebastian,Fidel & Steinbuks,Jevgenijs & Feres,Jose Gustavo & Trotter,Ian Michael, 2020. "Electricity Access and Structural Transformation : Evidence from Brazil's Electrification," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9182, The World Bank.
    18. Wan, Guanghua & Wang, Chen & Zhang, Xun & Zuo, Congming, 2024. "Income inequality effect of public utility infrastructure: Evidence from rural China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    19. Daniela Vidart, 2024. "Revisiting the Link Between Electrification and Fertility: Evidence from the Early 20th Century United States," Working papers 2024-03, University of Connecticut, Department of Economics.

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