Freakonomics, M.D.

74. How Does Playing Football Affect Your Health?

Mar 3, 2023
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ANECDOTE

The 1987 NFL Strike

  • In 1987, an NFL players' strike led to the use of replacement players.
  • This created a natural experiment for researchers to study the long-term health effects of playing professional football.
INSIGHT

NFL Player Mortality

  • Comparing NFL players to replacement players revealed a higher mortality risk for NFL players.
  • However, the difference wasn't statistically significant due to the limited number of deaths in the study.
INSIGHT

Debunking the Survival Advantage

  • Previous studies showing an NFL player survival advantage are misleading.
  • This is due to factors like fitness, healthcare access, and wealth, which are not solely attributable to playing football.
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