Reexamining the Contribution of Public Health Efforts to the Decline in Urban Mortality
American Economic Journal: Applied Economics · 2022 · D. Mark Anderson、Kerwin Kofi Charles、Daniel I. Rees
中文摘要
本文利用1900–1940年美国25个主要城市的数据， 考察了在防治食源性和水源性疾病中被视为至关重要的市政层面公共卫生努力的效果。除研究污水处理、制定牛奶细菌学标准等鲜受关注的干预措施外， 我们还就滤水与加氯消毒的效果提供了新证据， 拓展了此前学者的研究工作。尽管滤水与婴儿死亡率下降11%–12%相关， 但所研究的其他干预措施似乎均未对观察到的死亡率下降有所贡献。（JEL H75, I12, I18, J13, Q18, Q51, Q53）
Abstract
Using data on 25 major American cities for the period 1900–1940, we explore the effects of municipal-level public health efforts that were viewed as critical in the fight against foodborne and waterborne diseases. In addition to studying interventions such as treating sewage and setting bacteriological standards for milk, which have received little attention, we provide new evidence on the effects of water filtration and chlorination, extending the work of previous scholars. Although water filtration is associated with an 11–12 percent reduction in infant mortality, none of the other interventions under study appear to have contributed to the observed mortality declines. (JEL H75, I12, I18, J13, Q18, Q51, Q53)