Full Citation

Title: Exploring the Impact of Medical Technology on Life Expectancy: Evidence from the Free Supply of Diphtheria Antitoxin in Massachusetts

Citation Type: Miscellaneous

Publication Year: 2022

ISBN:

ISSN: 14712458

DOI: 10.1186/S12889-023-17384-Y

NSFID:

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PMID:

Abstract: In this paper, we explore the impact of the first effective medical treatment for an infectious disease—diphtheria antitoxin—on the historical health transition. In 1895, the State Board of Health in Massachusetts began providing free supplies of the antitoxin for medical use through- out the state. This policy has later been recognized as a significant event in the public health history of Massachusetts. We use cross-municipality variation in pre-antitoxin diphtheria mor- tality rates and the availability of free antitoxin in 1895 to create an instrumental variable for local adoption rates, as measured by the number of antitoxin bottles per capita. By analyzing approximately 1.6 million death certificates from 1880 to 1914, we find that a hypothetical 10- year delay in the development of antitoxin would have reduced life expectancy at birth by one year, primarily due to reductions in child mortality. Our results suggest that medicine played a significant role in the increase of life expectancy in the state of Massachusetts in the early 20th century.

Url: https://scholar.google.com/scholar_url?url=https://www.aeaweb.org/conference/2023/program/paper/64F28Z9r&hl=en&sa=X&d=10503538884237287790&ei=7u9zZdXkOoKwmwGl35bwDg&scisig=AFWwaeaQxbbXQn6kxyJKdbEYGZ27&oi=scholaralrt&hist=SD6T3SsAAAAJ:4455112006511684114:A

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Authors: Ager, Philipp; Hansen, Casper Worm; Lin, Peter Zhixian

Publisher:

Data Collections: IPUMS USA

Topics: Fertility and Mortality, Health, Population Health and Health Systems

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