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

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  • Cui, Hanxiao
  • Smith, James P.
  • Zhao, Yaohui

Abstract

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.

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  • Cui, Hanxiao & Smith, James P. & Zhao, Yaohui, 2020. "Early-life deprivation and health outcomes in adulthood: Evidence from childhood hunger episodes of middle-aged and elderly Chinese," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:deveco:v:143:y:2020:i:c:s0304387819303001
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jdeveco.2019.102417
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    Cited by:

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    2. Nie, P. & Ding, L. & Jones, A.M., 2020. "Inequality of opportunity in bodyweight among middle-aged and older Chinese: a distributional approach," Health, Econometrics and Data Group (HEDG) Working Papers 20/14, HEDG, c/o Department of Economics, University of York.
    3. Zheng, Xiaodong & Fang, Zuyi & Wang, Yajun & Fang, Xiangming, 2022. "When left-behind children become adults and parents: The long-term human capital consequences of parental absence in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
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    5. Chao Ma & Yiwei Li & Wenxin Jiang & Xing Zhang, 2024. "Pandemic exposure and long‐run psychological well‐being," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 62(1), pages 39-55, January.
    6. Ding, Yawen & Min, Shi & Wang, Xiaobing & Yu, Xiaohua, 2022. "Memory of famine: The persistent impact of famine experience on food waste behavior," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    7. Kunyang Zhang & Yi Luo & Yan Han, 2023. "The Long-Term Impact of Famine Experience on Harvest Losses," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-18, May.
    8. Wang, Haining & Cheng, Zhiming & Zhe Wang, Ben & Chen, Yuanyuan, 2021. "Childhood left-behind experience and labour market outcomes in China," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 196-207.
    9. Zhang, Zihan & Kim, Jun Hyung, 2023. "The Inheritance of Historical Trauma: Intergenerational Effects of Early-Life Exposure to Famine on Mental Health," IZA Discussion Papers 16385, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    10. Li, Yanan & Sunder, Naveen, 2021. "What doesn’t kill her, will make her depressed," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 43(C).
    11. Yiru Wang, 2023. "Famine and matching by socioeconomic status—evidence from the Great Chinese Famine," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 21(3), pages 855-912, September.
    12. Yao, Yuxin & Zhang, Yi, 2023. "The long-term and intergenerational effects of early-life hunger experience on human capital and labor market outcomes," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    13. Zheng, Xiaodong & Shangguan, Shuangyue & Fang, Zuyi & Fang, Xiangming, 2021. "Early-life exposure to parental mental distress and adulthood depression among middle-aged and elderly Chinese," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 41(C).
    14. Ding, Ruoxi & He, Ping, 2021. "Associations between childhood adversities and late-life cognitive function: Potential mechanisms," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 291(C).

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    Keywords

    Hunger; China; Elderly; CHARLS; Gender;
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