Title

Adult height and childhood disease

Author(s)

Carlos Bozzoli Carlos Bozzoli (DIW - Berlin (German Institute for Economic Research))

Angus Deaton Angus Deaton (Princeton University)

Climent Quintana-Domeque Climent Quintana-Domeque (Universidad de Alicante)

Abstract

Taller populations are typically richer populations, and taller individuals live longer and earn more In consequence, adult height has recently become a focus in understanding the relationship between health and wealth. We investigate the childhood determinants of population adult height, focusing on the respective roles of income and of disease. Across a range of European countries and the United States, we find a strong inverse relationship between postneonatal (one month to one year) mortality, interpreted as a measure of the disease and nutritional burden in childhood, and the mean height of those children as adults. Consistent with these findings, we develop a model of selection and stunting, in which the early life burden of nutrition and disease is not only responsible for mortality in childhood but also leaves a residue of long-term health risks for survivors, risks that express themselves in adult height, as well as in late-life disease. The model predicts that, at sufficiently high mortality levels, selection can dominate scarring, leaving a taller population of survivors. We find evidence of this effect in the poorest and highest mortality countries of the world, supplementing recent findings on the effects of the Great Chinese famine.

Creation Date

2008-10

Section URL ID

RPDS

Paper Number

deaton_adult_height_and_childhood_disease_demography.pdf

URL

https://rpds.princeton.edu/sites/rpds/files/media/deaton_adult_height_and_childhood_disease_demography.pdf

File Function

Jel

D630, I000, I320, J130, D190

Keyword(s)

Height, childhood disease, wealth, health, Great Chinese famine

Suppress

false

Series

5