Working Paper: NBER ID: w24865
Authors: Daniel Prinz; Michael Chernew; David Cutler; Austin Frakt
Abstract: We systematically review the literature linking health to economic activity, particularly education and labor market outcomes, over the lifecycle. In the first part, we review studies that link childhood health to later-life outcomes. The main themes we focus on are in-utero exposures, birthweight, physical health and nutrition, mental health, and the environment. In the second part, we review studies of the impact of health on labor market success for adults. The main themes we focus on are the environment, disability, physical health shocks, within-household spillovers, cancer, and mental health.
Keywords: Health; Economic Activity; Labor Market Outcomes; Education
JEL Codes: I1; I15
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Childhood health (I19) | Educational attainment (I21) |
| Childhood health (I19) | Labor market outcomes (J48) |
| Childhood health (I19) | Cognitive skills (G53) |
| Childhood health (I19) | Non-cognitive skills (D91) |
| In utero exposure to adverse health conditions (I14) | Health outcomes (I14) |
| In utero exposure to adverse health conditions (I14) | Socioeconomic outcomes (I24) |
| Individuals born during 1918 influenza pandemic (I12) | Health outcomes (I14) |
| Individuals born during 1918 influenza pandemic (I12) | Educational attainment (I21) |
| Environmental factors (F64) | Health outcomes (I14) |
| Environmental factors (F64) | Economic outcomes (F69) |