PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Brian Duncan
AU  - Hani Mansour
AU  - Daniel I. Rees
TI  - It’s Just a Game
AID  - 10.3368/jhr.52.4.0615-7213R
DP  - 2017 Oct 02
TA  - Journal of Human Resources
PG  - 946--978
VI  - 52
IP  - 4
4099  - http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/52/4/946.short
4100  - http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/52/4/946.full
SO  - J Hum Resour2017 Oct 02; 52
AB  - Previous studies have explored the effect of earthquakes and terrorist attacks on birth outcomes. These events are unexpected and obvious sources of distress, but could affect fetal health through multiple channels. Using data from the National Vital Statistics System for the period 1969–2004, we estimate the relationship between prenatal exposure to the Super Bowl and low birth weight. Although sporting events can elicit intense emotions, they do not pollute the environment or threaten viewers with direct physical harm. We find that Super Bowl exposure is associated with a small, but precisely estimated, increase in the probability of low birth weight.