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Mortality and immortality : the Nobel Prize as an experiment into the effect of status upon longevity

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Rablen, Matthew D. and Oswald, Andrew J. . (2008) Mortality and immortality : the Nobel Prize as an experiment into the effect of status upon longevity. Journal of Health Economics , Vol.27 (No.6). pp. 1462-1471. ISSN 0167-6296

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jhealeco.2008.06.001 ...

Abstract

It has been known for centuries that the rich and famous have longer lives than the poor and ordinary. Causality, however, remains trenchantly debated. The ideal experiment would be one in which extra status could somehow be dropped upon a sub-sample of individuals while those in a control group of comparable individuals received none. This paper attempts to formulate a test in that spirit. It collects 19th-century birth data on science Nobel Prize winners. Correcting for potential biases, we estimate that winning the Prize, compared to merely being nominated, is associated with between 1 and 2 years of extra longevity.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare
Divisions:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Economics
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Social status -- Health aspects, Mortality, Nobel Prize winners
Journal or Publication Title:	Journal of Health Economics
Publisher:	Elsevier
ISSN:	0167-6296
Date:	12 June 2008
Volume:	Vol.27
Number:	No.6
Page Range:	pp. 1462-1471
Identification Number:	10.1016/j.jhealeco.2008.06.001
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	Published
Access rights to Published version:	Open Access
Funder:	Economic and Social Research Council (Great Britain) (ESRC)
Related URLs:	Organisation
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URI:	http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/303