Socioeconomic Factors Influencing Longevity In Japan

摘要

Although there are no obvious reasons for this phenomenon, it is sometimes stated that, in Japan, after they are separated from their partners (due to death, divorce, etc), old men are prone to dying earlier whereas women tend to live longer lives. The purpose of this paper is to examine if this empirical observation can be confirmed by the socioeconomic data of the entire nation at the local government level. Although, available data are limited, our results may suggest socioeconomic policies that may extend the average life expectancy by improving living conditions of both old men and women. The explained variables are average life expectancies of men and women (Lm, Lw), and are provided by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. The explanatory variables are taken from the data provided by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications in Japan with some modification, as and when necessary.