From Angela's ashes to the Celtic tiger: early life conditions and adult health in Ireland

Citation

Delaney L, McGovern M & Smith JP (2011) From Angela's ashes to the Celtic tiger: early life conditions and adult health in Ireland. Journal of Health Economics, 30 (1), pp. 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhealeco.2010.10.002

Abstract
We use data from the Irish census and exploit regional and temporal variation in infant mortality rates over the 20th century to examine effects of early life conditions on later life health. The urban mortality penalty collapsed in Ireland in the years right after World War II. Our main identification is public health interventions centered on improved sanitation and food safety, which we believed played a leading role in eliminating the Irish urban infant mortality penalty. Our estimates suggest that a unit decrease in mortality rates at time of birth reduces the probability of being disabled as an adult by about 12-18%.

Keywords
Early life conditions; Infant mortality; Disability

Journal
Journal of Health Economics: Volume 30, Issue 1