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On the relationship between economic conditions around the time of birth and late life cognitive abilities: Evidence from Taiwan

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  • Chen, Wen-Yi

Abstract

This study investigates the casual linkage between economic conditions around the time of birth and late life cognitive abilities. The zero-inflated negative binomial and multivariate logistic regression models were used to evaluate the direct and indirect effect of economic conditions around the time of birth on late life cognitive abilities, respectively. Both direct and indirect effects of economic conditions around the time of birth on late life cognitive abilities were identified. The relative risk ratio in adjusted mean scores of the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (a means to measure cognitive impairment) indicates that being born in an economic recession year (experiencing economic recession during the year prior to birth) increases the risk of difficulties with cognition by 17.40% (11.70%). Being born in an economic recession year decreases the likelihood of high educational attainment in later life by an odds ratio of 0.962.

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  • Chen, Wen-Yi, 2016. "On the relationship between economic conditions around the time of birth and late life cognitive abilities: Evidence from Taiwan," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 22(C), pages 126-139.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:ehbiol:v:22:y:2016:i:c:p:126-139
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2016.04.001
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    4. Clay, Karen & Portnykh, Margarita & Severnini, Edson, 2019. "The legacy lead deposition in soils and its impact on cognitive function in preschool-aged children in the United States," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 181-192.
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    6. Olivera, Javier & Andreoli, Francesco & Leist, Anja K. & Chauvel, Louis, 2018. "Inequality in old age cognition across the world," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 179-188.
    7. Pasqualini, M. & Lanari, D. & Minelli, L. & Pieroni, L. & Salmasi, L., 2017. "Health and income inequalities in Europe: What is the role of circumstances?," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 26(C), pages 164-173.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Cognitive ability; Early life conditions; Developmental origins of health and disease hypothesis; Fetal hypothesis; Cumulative risk hypothesis; Zero-inflated negative binomial model;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I14 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Inequality
    • J11 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Demographic Trends, Macroeconomic Effects, and Forecasts
    • J14 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of the Elderly; Economics of the Handicapped; Non-Labor Market Discrimination
    • C25 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Discrete Regression and Qualitative Choice Models; Discrete Regressors; Proportions; Probabilities

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