Can pandemics affect educational attainment? Evidence from the polio epidemic of 1916

Keith Meyers and Melissa A. Thomasson ()
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Keith Meyers: Department of Business and Economics, Danish Institute of Advanced Studies, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230, Odense, Denmark
Melissa A. Thomasson: Julian Lange Professor of Economics, Miami University and Research Associate, NBER. FSB 2054, MSC 1035 800 E. High St., Oxford, OH, 45056, USA

Cliometrica, Journal of Historical Economics and Econometric History, 2021, vol. 15, issue 2, 231-265

Abstract: We leverage the largest polio outbreak in US history, the 1916 polio epidemic, to study how epidemic-related school interruptions affect educational attainment. Using polio morbidity as a proxy for epidemic exposure, we find that children aged 10 and under, and school-aged children of legal working age with greater exposure to the epidemic experienced reduced educational attainment compared to their slightly older peers. These reductions in observed educational attainment persist even after accounting for the influenza epidemic of 1918.

Keywords: Epidemics; ·; Polio; ·; Schooling; disruption; ·; Educational; attainment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I18 I26 N22 N3 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:afc:cliome:v:15:y:2021:i:2:p:231-265

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