Abstract
Despite at least 400 million seasonal allergy sufferers worldwide, the adverse effects of pollen on “non-health” outcomes, such as cognition and productivity, are surprisingly understudied. Using the ambulance archives in Japan, we are the first to demonstrate that high pollen days are associated with the increased occurrence of accidents and injuries—one of the most extreme consequences of cognitive impairment. Using geolocation data, we find limited evidence of avoidance behaviors, implying that such risk is severely discounted. Finally, the increased pollen concentrations due to climate change are projected to increase pollen-induced accidents, with a minimum social cost of USD236 million annually.
Local organizer: Davide Dragone, Bologna Health Economics research group (BHEPPE)
Short bio: Hitoshi Shigeoka is Professor at the University of Tokyo and Associate Professor at the Simon Fraser University. He is a Research Associate at NBER and a Research Fellow at IZA. He is in the board of editors for the American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, and Associate Editor for the Journal of Health Economics and the Japanese Economic Review. Updated information on his recent research activity is available here.