Is there a link between all-cause mortality and economic fluctuations?
Scand J Public Health
; 50(1): 6-15, 2022 Feb.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1724283
ABSTRACT
Background:
All-cause mortality is a global indicator of the overall health of the population, and its relation to the macro economy is thus of vital interest. The main aim was to estimate the short-term and the long-term impact of macroeconomic change on all-cause mortality. Variations in the unemployment rate were used as indicator of temporary fluctuations in the economy.Methods:
We used time-series data for 21 OECD countries spanning the period 1960-2018. We used fouroutcomes:
total mortality (0+), infant mortality (<1), mortality in the age-group 20-64, and old-age mortality (65+). Data on GDP/capita were obtained from the Maddison Project. Unemployment data (% unemployed in the work force) were sourced from Eurostat. We applied error correction modelling to estimate the short-term and the long-term impact of macroeconomic change on all-cause mortality.Results:
We found that increases in unemployment were statistically significantly associated with decreases in all mortality outcomes except old-age mortality. Increases in GDP were associated with significant lowering long-term effects on mortality.Conclusions:
Our findings, based on data from predominantly affluent countries, suggest that an increase in unemployment leads to a decrease in all-cause mortality. However, economic growth, as indicated by increased GDP, has a long-term protective health impact as indexed by lowered mortality.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Unemployment
/
Infant Mortality
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
Limits:
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Scand J Public Health
Journal subject:
Social Medicine
/
Public Health
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
14034948211049979
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