Health, Height, Height Shrinkage, and SES at Older Ages: Evidence from China

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Huang, Wei; Lei, Xiaoyan; Ridder, Geert; Strauss, John; Zhao, Yaohui
• 署名单位: Harvard University; Peking University; University of Southern California; University of Southern California
• 刊物名称: AMERICAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL-APPLIED ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 1945-7782
• DOI: 10.1257/app.5.2.86
• 发表日期: 2013
• 页码: 86-121
• 关键词: knee height; predicting stature; cognitive function; childhood health; arm-span; socioeconomic conditions; nutritional assessment; LIFE; mortality; EQUATIONS

摘要

In this paper, we build on the literature that examines associations between height and health outcomes of the elderly. We investigate the associations of height shrinkage at older ages with socioeconomic status, finding that height shrinkage for both men and women is negatively associated with better schooling, current urban residence, and household per capita expenditures. We then investigate the relationships between pre-shrinkage height, height shrinkage, and a rich set of health outcomes of older respondents, finding that height shrinkage is positively associated with poor health outcomes across a variety of outcomes, being especially strong for cognition outcomes. (JEL I12, J14, O15, P36)