TY - JOUR
T1 - Child Height, Health and Human Capital
T2 - Evidence using Genetic Markers
AU - von Hinke Kessler Scholder, Stephanie
AU - Davey Smith, George
AU - Lawlor, Debbie
AU - Propper, Carol
AU - Windmeijer, Frank
PY - 2013/1
Y1 - 2013/1
N2 - Height has long been recognized as being associated with better outcomes: the question is whether this association is causal. We use children's genetic variants as instrumental variables to deal with possible unobserved confounders and examine the effect of child/adolescent height on a wide range of outcomes: academic performance, IQ, self-esteem, depression symptoms and behavioral problems. OLS findings show that taller children have higher IQ, perform better in school, and are less likely to have behavioral problems. The IV results differ: taller girls (but not boys) have better cognitive performance and, in contrast to the OLS, greater height appears to increase behavioral problems.
AB - Height has long been recognized as being associated with better outcomes: the question is whether this association is causal. We use children's genetic variants as instrumental variables to deal with possible unobserved confounders and examine the effect of child/adolescent height on a wide range of outcomes: academic performance, IQ, self-esteem, depression symptoms and behavioral problems. OLS findings show that taller children have higher IQ, perform better in school, and are less likely to have behavioral problems. The IV results differ: taller girls (but not boys) have better cognitive performance and, in contrast to the OLS, greater height appears to increase behavioral problems.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84868246804&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.euroecorev.2012.09.009
DO - 10.1016/j.euroecorev.2012.09.009
M3 - Article
SN - 0014-2921
VL - 57
SP - 1
EP - 22
JO - European economic review
JF - European economic review
ER -