American Economic Journal:
Applied Economics
ISSN 1945-7782 (Print) | ISSN 1945-7790 (Online)
Reexamining the Contribution of Public Health Efforts to the Decline in Urban Mortality
American Economic Journal: Applied Economics
(pp. 126–57)
Abstract
Using data on 25 major American cities for the period 1900–1940, we explore the effects of municipal-level public health efforts that were viewed as critical in the fight against foodborne and waterborne diseases. In addition to studying interventions such as treating sewage and setting bacteriological standards for milk, which have received little attention, we provide new evidence on the effects of water filtration and chlorination, extending the work of previous scholars. Although water filtration is associated with an 11–12 percent reduction in infant mortality, none of the other interventions under study appear to have contributed to the observed mortality declines.Citation
Anderson, D. Mark, Kerwin Kofi Charles, and Daniel I. Rees. 2022. "Reexamining the Contribution of Public Health Efforts to the Decline in Urban Mortality." American Economic Journal: Applied Economics 14 (2): 126–57. DOI: 10.1257/app.20190034Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- H75 State and Local Government: Health; Education; Welfare; Public Pensions
- I12 Health Behavior
- I18 Health: Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
- J13 Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
- Q18 Agricultural Policy; Food Policy
- Q51 Valuation of Environmental Effects
- Q53 Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling