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Private Matters: The Effects of Privatization on Adult Mortality in the former Eastern Bloc

Molitoris, Joseph LU (2011) EKHR01 20111
Lund University School of Economics and Management, LUSEM
Department of Economic History
Abstract (Swedish)
The post-communist mortality crisis of the former Eastern Bloc was one of the largest peacetime mortality increases in modern history. Not without controversy, an increasingly large body of research has attributed this mortality surge to stress at the societal level. This paper adds to that research by using panel data from 25 countries between 1959 and 2006. Using difference-in-differences estimates and fixed effects regressions, this work found that there was a systematic difference in mortality rates between the formerly communist countries of Eastern and Central Europe and non-communist European countries after privatization was initiated. Specifically, the privatization process was found to have increased the mortality of... (More)
The post-communist mortality crisis of the former Eastern Bloc was one of the largest peacetime mortality increases in modern history. Not without controversy, an increasingly large body of research has attributed this mortality surge to stress at the societal level. This paper adds to that research by using panel data from 25 countries between 1959 and 2006. Using difference-in-differences estimates and fixed effects regressions, this work found that there was a systematic difference in mortality rates between the formerly communist countries of Eastern and Central Europe and non-communist European countries after privatization was initiated. Specifically, the privatization process was found to have increased the mortality of middle-aged adults by up to 27%. This change was attributed to increased psycho-social stress, which was brought on by job insecurity via high unemployment rates, corruption before, during and after the privatization process and a lack of social institutions, all of which led to an increase in maladaptive behaviors, such as drinking and suicide. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Molitoris, Joseph LU
supervisor
organization
course
EKHR01 20111
year
type
H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
subject
keywords
Privatization, mortality, communism, Eastern Europe, Soviet Union, crisis
language
English
id
2027988
date added to LUP
2011-08-09 11:39:03
date last changed
2011-08-09 11:39:03
@misc{2027988,
  abstract     = {{The post-communist mortality crisis of the former Eastern Bloc was one of the largest peacetime mortality increases in modern history.  Not without controversy, an increasingly large body of research has attributed this mortality surge to stress at the societal level.  This paper adds to that research by using panel data from 25 countries between 1959 and 2006.  Using difference-in-differences estimates and fixed effects regressions, this work found that there was a systematic difference in mortality rates between the formerly communist countries of Eastern and Central Europe and non-communist European countries after privatization was initiated.  Specifically, the privatization process was found to have increased the mortality of middle-aged adults by up to 27%.  This change was attributed to increased psycho-social stress, which was brought on by job insecurity via high unemployment rates, corruption before, during and after the privatization process and a lack of social institutions, all of which led to an increase in maladaptive behaviors, such as drinking and suicide.}},
  author       = {{Molitoris, Joseph}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Private Matters: The Effects of Privatization on Adult Mortality in the former Eastern Bloc}},
  year         = {{2011}},
}