Being Born Under Adverse Economic Conditions Leads to a Higher Cardiovascular Mortality Rate Later in Life: Evidence Based on Individuals Born at Different Stages of the Business Cycle

Abstract

We connect the recent medical and economic literatures on the long-run effects of early-life conditions by analyzing the effects of economic conditions on the individual cardiovascular (CV) mortality rate later in life, using individual data records from the Danish Twin Registry covering births since the 1870s and including the cause of death. To capture exogenous variation of conditions early in life, we use the state of the business cycle around birth. We find significant negative effects of Demography (2011) There is no effect on the cancer-specific mortality rate. From variation within and between monozygotic and dizygotic twin pairs born under different conditions, we conclude that the fate of an individual is more strongly determined by genetic and household-environmental factors if early-life conditions are poor. Individual-specific qualities come more to fruition if the starting position in life is better.

Transgenerational effects of childhood conditions on third generation health and education outcomes

“…(For the effect of business cycle variation on outcomes see e.g. van den Berg et al, 2011, Woitek, 2003and Sunder and Woitek, 2005 We include background variables as additional covariates in some specifications to detect behavioral, non-biological pathways. One of the potentially most important pathways goes through parental education, reflecting parental cognitive ability, parenting skill, social class and family earnings potential all of which are essential for health and schooling outcomes.…”

The effects of shocks in early life mortality on later life expectancy and mortality compression: A cohort analysis

“…For example, van den Berg and colleagues (2006, 2008, and 2009) study how the state of the business cycle at birth is associated with de-trended mortality at older ages, and find that being born in a recession, compared to being born in a period of economic growth, increases later mortality. The majority of the effect seems to be attributable to elevated cardiovascular disease mortality at old ages (van den Berg et al 2008). At the moment, however, the mechanism through which the business cycle affects health decades later it is not well understood.…”

Early childhood poverty, immune-mediated disease processes, and adult productivity

“…Fifth, macrolevel conditions, such as the state of the business cycle during time of birth, are found to adversely impact health outcomes. Specifically, the risk of cardiovascular mortality increases among those individuals born during economic downturns (24,25). Finally, low income in early childhood has been linked to poor mental health in adulthood (9).…”