Presentations by Laboratory Staff at the XXV Yasin (April) International Academic Conference
Researchers from the International Laboratory for Population and Health at the National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE University) delivered presentations at the XXV Yasin (April) International Academic Conference on Economic and Social Development, held on April 15–18, 2025.
Laboratory staff participated in three sections of the conference and presented five papers.
Evgeny Andreev – “Sex Differences in Mortality in Russia”
This presentation focused on the large life expectancy gap between men and women in Russia. Between 2000 and 2023, this gap ranged from 8.8 to 13.6 years. The main contributors to the gap are cardiovascular diseases, external causes of death, and cancer. For birth cohorts born between 1946 and 1962, the average life expectancy gap is 13.3 years. The extraordinarily high male mortality rate not only leads to a significantly increased statistical risk of widowhood by age 50, but, according to the speaker, may also undermine women’s confidence in their partners' ability to provide long-term support, and potentially has a negative effect on their willingness to have children at later reproductive ages.
Gleb Marychev, Sergey Timonin, Aleksey Shchur – “Comparability of Regional Coding Practices in Russia: Stability Over Time”
Based on data from 71 regions for the period 2000–2019, the presentation demonstrated that discrepancies in mortality structure across regions remained stable over time and did not depend on specific five-year intervals. Significant changes were recorded only in a few regions and for a limited number of causes of death. This confirmed that interregional incomparability in mortality data is largely related to the decentralized system of determining the underlying cause of death.
Elena Churilova, Dmitry Jdanov – “The More Children, the More Happiness? The Impact of Number of Children on Self-Assessed Happiness
Using data from the International Social Survey Program, the authors showed that Russians with children reported significantly higher happiness levels than childless individuals. The positive effect of having children remained significant even after controlling for age, gender, marital status, and education.
Olga Rodina – “‘Penalty’ or ‘Reward’ for Motherhood: The Effect of Delaying First Birth on Women’s Wages”
Using data from the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey (RLMS-HSE), this presentation showed that mothers earn less than their childless peers. The study paid particular attention to the age at first birth: for women who had their first child after age 30, wage losses were half as large as for those who gave birth earlier. However, only a small proportion of mothers face this lower “penalty.”
Elena Churilova, Dmitry Jdanov, Olga Rodina – “Self-Rated Health and Its Determinants Among Older Adults in Russia”
Based on data from the 2021 National Survey of the Older Generation (conducted by HSE University), this presentation showed that older Russians’ self-rated health is influenced by both socio-demographic characteristics and objective measures of physical and mental health. For Russians aged 70 and older, the protective effects of higher education and marriage disappear, and functional limitations affecting daily life become the primary determinant of perceived health.