Tommy Bengtsson

Professor

The influence of micro-level soil factors on mortality in southern Sweden, 1850-1914

Författare

Finn Hedefalk
Luciana Quaranta
Tommy Bengtsson

Summary, in English

We analyse the effects of soil type on mortality of children aged 2-15 living in five rural parishes in Sweden between 1850 and 1914. We use micro-level longitudinal demographic data combined with micro-level longitudinal geographic data. Here, the individuals in the parishes are linked to the property units they lived in. We find that, compared to those living in property units covered by 80-100% clayey till, living in areas covered by 50-80% clayey till increased the mortality risk by 44% for the period 1850-1879, and for the period 1880-1914, living in areas covered by 80-100% clay-till/lay increased the mortality risk by 150%. However, only children aged 7-15 were affected in the latter period. Hence, certain soil types affected the mortality of children between 1850 and 1879, but only older children between 1880 and 1914. The changes in the effect of the soil type groups between the two time periods indicate that, possibly, market and technological changes affected the suitability of certain soil types for agriculture. A possible explanation to the mortality differences among the soil types is that they affected the output produced at each farm which, in turn, affected the nutritional status of the children and hence their mortality.

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