Abstract
This paper investigates the effects of competition outcomes on health by using U.S. Olympic medalists' lifespans and medal colors as a natural experiment. Whereas the life expectancies of gold and bronze medalists do not differ significantly, life expectancy of silver medalists is about 2.4 and 3.9 years less than these former, respectively. These findings are readily explainable by insights from behavioral economics, psychology, and human biology, which suggest that (perceived) dissatisfactory competition outcomes may adversely affect health. Competition outcomes that affect socioeconomic status (SES) could, therefore, play an important causal role in the positive SES-health gradient among the general population.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 276-286 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Economics and Human Biology |
| Volume | 31 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Sept 2018 |
UN SDGs
This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
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SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
Keywords
- Duration analysis
- Health
- Inequality
- Mortality
- Socioeconomic status
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