Multigenerational Effects of Early Life Health Shocks

32 Pages Posted: 26 Dec 2018 Last revised: 18 Nov 2021

See all articles by C. Justin Cook

C. Justin Cook

University of California, Merced - School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts

Jason Fletcher

University of Wisconsin - Madison

Angela Forgues

University of Wisconsin - Madison

Date Written: December 2018

Abstract

A large literature has documented links between harmful early life exposures and later life health and socioeconomic deficits. These studies, however, are typically unable to examine the possibility that these shocks are transmitted to the next generation. Our study traces the impacts of in utero exposure to the 1918 influenza pandemic on the outcomes of the children and grandchildren of those affected using representative survey data from the US. We find evidence of multigenerational effects on educational, economic, and health outcomes.

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Suggested Citation

Cook, C. Justin and Fletcher, Jason and Forgues, Angela, Multigenerational Effects of Early Life Health Shocks (December 2018). NBER Working Paper No. w25377, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3306079 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3306079

C. Justin Cook (Contact Author)

University of California, Merced - School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts ( email )

P.O. Box 2039
Merced, CA 95344
United States

Jason Fletcher

University of Wisconsin - Madison ( email )

716 Langdon Street
Madison, WI 53706-1481
United States

Angela Forgues

University of Wisconsin - Madison ( email )

716 Langdon Street
Madison, WI 53706-1481
United States

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