【主讲】 Simon Chang,中央财经大学助理教授

【主题】儿童早期疟疾对教育和健康的长期影响：来自殖民地时期台湾的证据

【时间】 2012-3-15（周四）16:00-17:30

【地点】 清华经管学院 伟伦楼404

【语言】 英文

【主办】 清华大学经济管理学院经济系

【Speaker】 Simon Chang, Assistant Professor, Central University of Finance and Economics

【Topic】 Long-term Effects of Early Childhood Malaria Exposure on Education and Health: Evidence from Colonial Taiwan

【Time】 16:00-17:30, 2012-3-15, Thursday

【Venue】 Weilun 404, Tsinghua SEM

【Language】 English

【Organizer】 Department of Economics

Abstract

In the early 20th century, the Japanese colonial government initiated an island-wide malaria eradication campaign in Taiwan, resulting in not only a fast decline in malaria across time but also elimination of disparity across regions. Exploiting variations in malaria deaths around birth caused by the campaign, we estimate the causal effects of malaria exposure in early life on education and health of the elderly. To mitigate potential biases caused by measurement errors and omitted confounders, we employ climatic factors to instrument for malaria deaths. Our findings suggest that people who were exposed to a high malaria risk in the critical period around birth have lower life-time educational attainment and worse health outcomes at old age as reflected in worse cognitive function, a higher likelihood of cardiovascular and lung diseases and a higher mortality hazard. Our findings support the fetal origins hypothesis.