The effects of competition outcomes on health: Evidence from the lifespans of U.S. Olympic medalists

Adriaan Kalwij

Economics & Human Biology, 2018, vol. 31, issue C, 276-286

Abstract: This paper investigates the effects of competition outcomes on health by using U.S. Olympic medalists' lifespans and medal colors as a natural experiment. Whereas the life expectancies of gold and bronze medalists do not differ significantly, life expectancy of silver medalists is about 2.4 and 3.9 years less than these former, respectively. These findings are readily explainable by insights from behavioral economics, psychology, and human biology, which suggest that (perceived) dissatisfactory competition outcomes may adversely affect health. Competition outcomes that affect socioeconomic status (SES) could, therefore, play an important causal role in the positive SES-health gradient among the general population.

Keywords: Duration analysis; Health; Mortality; Inequality; Socioeconomic status (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C41 I14 Z2 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ehbiol:v:31:y:2018:i:c:p:276-286

DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2018.10.001

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