On Monday, January 21 2019, 14:00-15:30, Nina Schwarz (University of Duisburg-Essen) will present:
Sewerage Systems and the Infant Welfare Movement - Effects on Infant Mortality in Prussia
We analyse the impact of sewerage systems in Prussia on infant mortality by marital status of the mother. Using purposely digitised information on canalisations and administrative data on infant mortality, we find that the introduction of sewerage systems reduced infant mortality rates among children born out of wedlock by 12.5 deaths per 1,000 live births (12.7 per cent). For in-wedlock births, the reduction is one order of magnitude smaller; which suggests that canalisations contributed to a reduction in the socioeconomic gradient in child health. We further consider complementarities with milk depots, another public health intervention introduced in cities at around the same time, and find that the two interventions reinforced each other in their effects on infant health
Room: WST-C.02.12, Weststadttürme Berliner Platz 6-8, Essen
On Monday, December 17 2018, 14:00-15:30, Søren R. Kristensen (Imperial College London) will present:
Financial Penalties for Readmissions in the English NHS
Health care reforms aiming to improve the quality of hospital care by paying bonuses for higher quality have largely proven unsuccessful. In 2011, the English National Health Service introduced a policy that aimed to reduce emergency readmissions through financial penalties for readmissions. We analyse the intended and unintended effects of the penalty reform using controlled segmented regression. Hospitals responded to the reform by increasing length of stay of emergency admissions but readmission rates did not decrease, and the volume of elective activity was unintendedly reduced. Financial penalties for performance had unintended consequences for health care without achieving their intended aim.
Room: WST-C.02.12, Weststadttürme Berliner Platz 6-8, Essen
On Monday, December 10 2018, 14:00-15:30, Martin Fischer (University of Duisburg-Essen) will present:
Does Starting School Early affect Cognitive Health in the Old Age? Quasi-Experimental Evidence from Germany
This study uses the German 1970 Census and administrative health insurance data to evaluatethe very long run-effects of a historical school starting age regulation in Germany on educational attainment and cognitive disease risk. From 1922 onwards children in northern parts of Germany had to start primary school the current year in case they turned 6 before the 30th of June, creating a discontinuity in school starting age. Starting school one year later lead to significant increase in educational attainment and income. Likely explanations for a persistent effect till adulthood are a highly selective and inflexible school system, the lack of proper school entrance examinations. Effects were potentially manifested or even exaggerated by World War II. However, I cannot detect effects on the risk of getting diagnosed with dementia for individuals 75+. Instead a later school starting age is associated with a significant reduction in overall mortality, potentially driven by the persistent effects of school starting age on educational attainment and associated socio-demographics.
Room: WST-C.02.12, Weststadttürme Berliner Platz 6-8, Essen
