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No consistent effects of prenatal or neonatal exposure to Spanish flu on late-life mortality in 24 developed countries

Author

Listed:
  • Alan Cohen

    (Université de Sherbrooke)

  • John Tillinghast

    (Johns Hopkins University)

  • Vladimir Canudas-Romo

    (Australian National University)

Abstract

We test the effects of early life exposure to disease on later health by looking for differences in late-life mortality in cohorts born around the 1918-1919 flu pandemic using data from the Human Mortality Database for 24 countries. After controlling for age, period, and sex effects, residual mortality rates did not differ systematically for flu cohorts relative to surrounding cohorts. We calculate at most a 20-day reduction in life expectancy for flu cohorts; likely values are much smaller. Estimates of influenza incidence during the pandemic suggest that exposure was high enough for this to be a robust negative result.

Suggested Citation

  • Alan Cohen & John Tillinghast & Vladimir Canudas-Romo, 2010. "No consistent effects of prenatal or neonatal exposure to Spanish flu on late-life mortality in 24 developed countries," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 22(20), pages 579-634.
    • Handle: RePEc:dem:demres:v:22:y:2010:i:20
    DOI: 10.4054/DemRes.2010.22.20
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Nadine Ouellette & Magali Barbieri & John R. Wilmoth, 2014. "Period-Based Mortality Change: Turning Points in Trends since 1950," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 40(1), pages 77-106, March.
    2. Ingrid K. van Dijk & Angelique Janssens & Ken R. Smith, 2019. "The Long Harm of Childhood: Childhood Exposure to Mortality and Subsequent Risk of Adult Mortality in Utah and The Netherlands," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 35(5), pages 851-871, December.
    3. Jonas Helgertz & Tommy Bengtsson, 2019. "The Long-Lasting Influenza: The Impact of Fetal Stress During the 1918 Influenza Pandemic on Socioeconomic Attainment and Health in Sweden, 1968–2012," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 56(4), pages 1389-1425, August.
    4. C. Justin Cook & Jason M. Fletcher & Angela Forgues, 2019. "Multigenerational Effects of Early-Life Health Shocks," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 56(5), pages 1855-1874, October.
    5. Maarten Lindeboom & Reyn van Ewijk, 2015. "“Babies of the War: The effect of war exposure early in life on mortality throughout life”," Working Papers 1519, Gutenberg School of Management and Economics, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz.
    6. Doran, Áine & Colvin, Christopher L. & McLaughlin, Eoin, 2024. "What can we learn from historical pandemics? A systematic review of the literature," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 342(C).
    7. Bengtsson, Tommy & Helgertz, Jonas, 2015. "The Long Lasting Influenza: The Impact of Fetal Stress during the 1918 Influenza Pandemic on Socioeconomic Attainment and Health in Sweden 1968-2012," IZA Discussion Papers 9327, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    mortality; Spanish influenza pandemic; Human Mortality Database (HMD); influenza; fetal origins; Barker hypothesis;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics
    • Z0 - Other Special Topics - - General

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