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The Significance and Relative Contributions of Demographic, Residence, and Socioeconomic Status in Nineteenth-Century U.S. BMI Variation

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  • Scott Alan Carson

Abstract

Sources of nineteenth-century body mass index variation have received increased attention in economic and historical studies. Although modern body mass indexes increased during the twentieth century, nineteenth-century black and white body mass indexes were distributed symmetrically. Blacks in the Great Lakes and whites from the Southeast were more likely to be underweight, and blacks in Kentucky and whites in the Upper South and Far West were more likely to be overweight and obese. Farmers had greater body mass index values than workers in other occupations. Factors individuals did not control--such as age, race, and height--were the primary sources of nineteenth-century body mass index variation; choice characteristics--such as residence and occupations--had little to do with body mass index variation during U.S. economic development.

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  • Scott Alan Carson, 2013. "The Significance and Relative Contributions of Demographic, Residence, and Socioeconomic Status in Nineteenth-Century U.S. BMI Variation," Historical Methods: A Journal of Quantitative and Interdisciplinary History, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(2), pages 67-76, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:vhimxx:v:46:y:2013:i:2:p:67-76
    DOI: 10.1080/01615440.2012.707969
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    Cited by:

    1. Scott A. Carson, 2020. "Body Mass, Nutrition, and Disease: Current Net Nutrition during US Economic Development," CESifo Working Paper Series 8464, CESifo.
    2. Scott Alan Carson, 2022. "Body mass, nutrition, and disease: nineteenth century current net nutrition during economic development," Journal of Bioeconomics, Springer, vol. 24(1), pages 37-65, April.
    3. Carson, Scott Alan, 2019. "Late 19th, early 20th century US, foreign-born body mass index values in the United States," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 26-38.
    4. Scott A. Carson, 2021. "International Migration and Net Nutrition in the Late 19th and Early 20th Centuries: Evidence from Prison Records," CESifo Working Paper Series 9411, CESifo.

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