National Independence, Women's Political Participation, and Life Expectancy in Norway

Jenna Nobles, Ryan Andrew Brown, Ralph C. Catalano

Published Jan 12, 2010

This study investigates the role of national independence and women’s political participation on population health using historical lifespan data from Norway. The authors use time-series methods to analyze data measuring the actual length of time lived by Norwegian birth cohorts spanning a 61 year period surrounding the political emancipation of Norway from Sweden in 1905 and the establishment of a Norwegian monarchy in 1906. The use of a discrete, historical event improves their ability to interpret the population health effects of national independence and women’s political participation as causal. They find a large and significant positive effect on the lifespan of Norwegian females born in the 1906 cohort. Interestingly, the effect does not extend to all living females during the Norwegian drive toward sovereignty. They conclude that the beneficial effects were likely conferred through intrauterine biological transfers and/or neonatal investments specific to the first year of life.

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Document Details

  • Copyright: RAND Corporation
  • Availability: Web-Only
  • Year: 2010
  • Pages: 24
  • Document Number: WR-729

Citation

RAND Style Manual
Nobles, Jenna, Ryan Andrew Brown, and Ralph C. Catalano, National Independence, Women's Political Participation, and Life Expectancy in Norway, RAND Corporation, WR-729, 2010. As of September 20, 2024: https://www.rand.org/pubs/working_papers/WR729.html
Chicago Manual of Style
Nobles, Jenna, Ryan Andrew Brown, and Ralph C. Catalano, National Independence, Women's Political Participation, and Life Expectancy in Norway. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2010. https://www.rand.org/pubs/working_papers/WR729.html.
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