Biology as destiny? Short- and long-run determinants of intergenerational transmission of birth weight

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Currie, Janet; Moretti, Enrico
• 署名单位: Columbia University; National Bureau of Economic Research; University of California System; University of California Berkeley
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF LABOR ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0734-306X
• DOI: 10.1086/511377
• 发表日期: 2007
• 页码: 231-263
• 关键词: socioeconomic-status; african-americans; origins; whites; HEALTH; income; iq

摘要

We use a unique data set of California births to ask whether intergenerational correlations in health contribute to the perpetuation of economic status. We find that if a mother was low birth weight, her child is significantly more likely to be low birth weight, even when we compare mothers who are sisters. Second, the intergenerational transmission of low birth weight is stronger for mothers in high poverty zip codes. Third, low birth weight affects proxies for later socioeconomic status. Fourth, these effects are stronger for women born in high poverty zip codes.