Early-life deprivation and health outcomes in adulthood: Evidence from childhood hunger episodes of middle-aged and elderly Chinese

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Cui, Hanxiao; Smith, James P.; Zhao, Yaohui
• 署名单位: Yale University; RAND Corporation; Peking University
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0304-3878
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jdeveco.2019.102417
• 发表日期: 2020
• 关键词: Hunger; CHINA; elderly; CHARLS; GENDER

摘要

This paper examines long-term health consequences of early-life food deprivation across late-life health indicators. Our analysis relies on retrospective data of hunger drawn from CHARLS - a nationally representative survey of residents ages 45 and over in Continental China. The survey accurately measured hunger episodes in childhood. Exposure to hunger early in life is found to increase the probability of being overweight, having difficulty with ADLs/IADLs and depression in old age. The adverse cognitive impacts of hunger are confined to women due to gender disparity in nutrition and educational opportunities. We find gender-specific interaction effect between hunger episodes and sibling sex composition.