Childhood health and sibling outcomes: Nurture Reinforcing nature during the 1918 influenza pandemic

B-Tier
Journal: Explorations in Economic History
Year: 2015
Volume: 58
Issue: C
Pages: 22-43

Score contribution per author:

2.011 = (α=2.01 / 1 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

This paper uses the 1918 influenza pandemic to test how household resources are reallocated in response to a health shock to one child. Using a new dataset linking census data on childhood household characteristics to adult outcomes from military enlistment records, I show that families with a child in utero during the pandemic shifted resources to the child's older siblings, leading to significantly higher educational attainments for these older siblings. These results suggest that the reallocation of household resources in response to a negative childhood health shock tended to reinforce rather than compensate for differences in endowments across children.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:eee:exehis:v:58:y:2015:i:c:p:22-43
Journal Field
Economic History
Author Count
1
Added to Database
2026-01-26