We assess the causal impact of epidemic-induced lockdowns on health and macroeconomic outcomes and measure the trade-off between containing the spread of an epidemic and economic activity. To do so, we estimate an epidemiological model with time-varying parameters and use its output as...

Causal inference methods are widely used in empirical research; however, there is a paucity of evidence on the properties of shared latent factor estimators in the presence of contaminated instrumental variable (IV) when a strong IV may not be available. We present a theoretical formulation to...

The motherhood penalty is well-documented, but what happens at the other end of the reproductive spectrum? Menopause--a transition often marked by debilitating physical and psychological symptoms--also entails substantial costs. Using population-wide Norwegian and Swedish data and...

Personalizing policies can theoretically increase their effectiveness. However, personalization is difficult when individual types are unobservable and the preferences of policymakers and individuals are not aligned, which could cause individuals to misreport their type. Mechanism design offers...

Extensions in human longevity are prompting a growing interest in maximizing healthspan, or the number of years of life unencumbered by the chronic diseases of old age. This chapter reviews recent research on healthy life extension, including several measures and determinants of longer...

In this paper we provide new evidence on the health spillover effects of health shocks within couples. Using administrative data from the Netherlands and a matching event-study framework, we estimate the causal effect of experiencing a health shock within a couple on the health of the initially...

We study the effects of state hospital regulations intended to increase breastfeeding by requiring certain care standards during the postpartum hospital stay. Policy adoption increased breastfeeding initiation by 3.3-4.1 percentage points (4.2-5.2 percent) and breastfeeding at 3 months...

The growth of longevity in the U.S. and other countries has increased interest in raising the age of eligibility for public retirement benefits. The consequences of this policy depend on the health of the older adult population overall and by socioeconomic group. In this paper, we estimate how...