Access Type

Open Access Dissertation

Date of Award

January 2019

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Department

Economics

First Advisor

Gail A. Jensen

Abstract

With a series of multivariate regression models this study investigates the association of conflict, health and non-health inputs with different facets of longevity in OECD, emerging and African countries. Using a country-level panel data set covering the period 1990 through 2014, five facets of longevity are examined: infant mortality, life expectancy for males at birth, life expectancy for females at birth, life expectancy for males at age 65, and life expectancy for females at age 65 among OECD and emerging countries. With country-level data spanning 1997 through 2016 from 50 African nations, production functions are also estimated for four distinct aspects of longevity: life expectancy at birth for males, life expectancy at birth for females, the infant mortality rate, and the mortality rate among children ages 1-4. The analysis of the determinants of longevity among OECD and emerging countries reveals that conflict shorten lives of people in both OECD and emerging countries. It was also found that greenhouse gas and health expenditures positively affect longevity although health expenditure’s impact is minimal. In the analysis of the determinants of longevity specific to African nations I find that although conflict in general is not good for any society, non-violent riots are beneficial to longevity in the right measure. With an inverse relationship between HIV, tuberculosis and longevity, HIV’s effect is stronger than tuberculosis’ effect. Immunization rate and gross national income per capita have positive effect on longevity. However, the marginal effect of GNI per capita is very small. In all countries under study however, the fertility rate remains the strongest predictor of longevity.

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