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

Rablen, M.D. and Oswald, A.J. 2008. Mortality and immortality: the Nobel Prize as an experiment into the effect of status upon longevity. Journal of Health Economics. 27 (6), pp. 1462-1471. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhealeco.2008.06.001

TitleMortality and immortality: the Nobel Prize as an experiment into the effect of status upon longevity
AuthorsRablen, M.D. and Oswald, A.J.
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.

JournalJournal of Health Economics
Journal citation27 (6), pp. 1462-1471
ISSN0167-6296
YearDec 2008
PublisherElsevier
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhealeco.2008.06.001
Publication dates
PublishedDec 2008

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