Prenatal Stress and Low Birth Weight: Evidence from the Super Bowl

Brian Duncan (), Hani Mansour and Daniel I. Rees ()
Additional contact information
Brian Duncan: University of Colorado Denver
Daniel I. Rees: Universidad Carlos III de Madrid

No 9053, IZA Discussion Papers from IZA Network @ LISER

Abstract: Studies have estimated the relationship between psychological stress and birth weight by exploiting natural disasters and terrorist attacks, both of which could affect fetal health through other channels. Using data from the National Vital Statistics System for the period 1969-2004, we estimate the effect of prenatal exposure to the Super Bowl on low birth weight. Although major sporting events elicit intense emotions, they do not threaten viewers with direct physical harm or limit access to prenatal care. We find that Super Bowl exposure is associated with a small, but precisely estimated, increase in the probability of low birth weight.

Keywords: low birth weight; Super Bowl; prenatal stress; tobacco use (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I12 J13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 50 pages
Date: 2015-05
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hea and nep-spo
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

Published - published as 'It's Just a Game: The Super Bowl and Low Birth Weight' in: Journal of Human Resources, 2017, 52 (4) 946-978

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