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Ambient Temperature During Gestation and Cold-Related Adult Mortality in a Swedish Cohort, 1915 to 2002

Author

Listed:
  • Bruckner, Tim A.

    (University of California, Irvine)

  • van den Berg, Gerard J.

    (University of Groningen)

  • Smith, Kirk R.

    (University of California, Berkeley)

  • Catalano, Ralph A.

    (University of California, Berkeley)

Abstract

For all climatic regions, mortality due to cold exceeds mortality due to heat. We examine whether cold-related mortality in adulthood varies positively with unusually benign ambient temperature during gestation, using data on over 13,500 Swedes from the Uppsala Birth Cohort Study born in 1915-1929 and followed until 2003. We link daily thermometer temperatures in Uppsala (1914 to 2002) to subjects, from their estimated date of conception onwards. We estimate survival models with time-varying explanatory variables, focusing on the two leading causes of cold-related death in adulthood: ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and stroke. An increase in the prevalence of warm temperatures during gestation leads to a significantly higher rate of mortality due to cold-related IHD. However, we do not find such a relation for cold-related stroke mortality. Additional analyses show that birthweight percentile or gestational age do not mediate discovered findings. The IHD results indicate that ambient temperature during gestation – independent of birth month – modifies the relation between cold and adult mortality.

Suggested Citation

  • Bruckner, Tim A. & van den Berg, Gerard J. & Smith, Kirk R. & Catalano, Ralph A., 2014. "Ambient Temperature During Gestation and Cold-Related Adult Mortality in a Swedish Cohort, 1915 to 2002," IZA Discussion Papers 7986, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp7986
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. van den Berg, Gerard J. & Lundborg, Petter & Nystedt, Paul & Rooth, Dan-Olof, 2009. "Critical Periods During Childhood and Adolescence: A Study of Adult Height Among Immigrant Siblings," IZA Discussion Papers 4140, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
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    8. Ralph Catalano & Tim Bruckner & Kirk Smith & Katherine Saxton, 2012. "Temperature oscillations may shorten male lifespan via natural selection in utero," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 110(3), pages 697-707, February.
    9. Gerard J. vandenBerg & Dorly J.H. Deeg & Maarten Lindeboom & France Portrait, 2010. "The Role of Early-Life Conditions in the Cognitive Decline due to Adverse Events Later in Life," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 120(548), pages 411-428, November.
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    Cited by:

    1. Sandra E Black & Paul J Devereux & Kjell G Salvanes, 2014. "Does Grief Transfer across Generations? - In-Utero Deaths and Child Outcomes," Working Papers 201405, School of Economics, University College Dublin.
    2. Cattan, Sarah & Kamhöfer, Daniel A. & Karlsson, Martin & Nilsson, Therese, 2017. "The Short- and Long-Term Effects of Student Absence: Evidence from Sweden," IZA Discussion Papers 10995, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. David I. Levine & Dean Yang, 2014. "The Impact of Rainfall on Rice Output in Indonesia," NBER Working Papers 20302, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Thiede, Brian C. & Gray, Clark, 2020. "Climate exposures and child undernutrition: Evidence from Indonesia," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 265(C).
    5. Kamhöfer, Daniel A. & Cattan, Sarah & Karlsson, Martin & Nilsson, Therese, 2015. "The Effects of Sickness Absence in School on Educational Achievements, Mortality and Income," VfS Annual Conference 2015 (Muenster): Economic Development - Theory and Policy 113180, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    6. Nobles, Jenna & Hamoudi, Amar, 2019. "Detecting the Effects of Early-Life Exposures: Why Fecundity Matters," SocArXiv x4zm6, Center for Open Science.
    7. Jenna Nobles & Amar Hamoudi, 2019. "Detecting the Effects of Early-Life Exposures: Why Fecundity Matters," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 38(6), pages 783-809, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    health; cold spells; fetal development; cerebrovascular disorders; climate; temperature regulation; ischaemic heart disease; migration;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming

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