Universal Investment in Infants and Long-Run Health: Evidence from Denmark's 1937 Home Visiting Program
American Economic Journal: Applied Economics
vol. 9,
no. 4, October 2017
(pp. 78-104)
(Complimentary)
Abstract
This paper examines the long-run health effects of a universal infant health intervention, the 1937 Danish home visiting program, which targeted all infants. Using administrative population data and exploiting variation in the timing of implementation across municipalities, we find that treated individuals enjoy higher age-specific survival rates during middle age (45-64), experience fewer hospital nights, and are less likely to be diagnosed with cardiovascular disease. These results suggest that an improved nutrition and disease environment in infancy "programmed" individuals for lower predisposition to serious adult diseases.Citation
Hjort, Jonas, Mikkel Sølvsten, and Miriam Wüst. 2017. "Universal Investment in Infants and Long-Run Health: Evidence from Denmark's 1937 Home Visiting Program." American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 9 (4): 78-104. DOI: 10.1257/app.20150087Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- H51 National Government Expenditures and Health
- I12 Health Behavior
- I18 Health: Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
- J13 Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
- N34 Economic History: Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy: Europe: 1913-
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