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Getting Weighed Down: The Effect of Childhood Obesity on the Development of Socioemotional Skills

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  • Nicole Black
  • Sonja C. Kassenboehmer

Abstract

Childhood obesity not only has serious long-term health implications but also can hinder the development of socioemotional skills. We use data from the Longitudinal Survey of Australian Children to examine the effect of childhood obesity on socioemotional difficulties. Using various specifications to estimate the socioemotional-skills production function, we show that obesity increases emotional problems for both genders and increases peer problems and decreases conduct problems for boys. Obesity does not appear to affect hyperactivity or prosocial behavior. Our results are robust to alternative identifying assumptions, the inclusion of a range of time-varying shocks, and alternative measures of adiposity. Our findings suggest that childhood obesity adversely affects emotional and social skills, which are both important determinants of human capital development and future economic prosperity.

Suggested Citation

  • Nicole Black & Sonja C. Kassenboehmer, 2017. "Getting Weighed Down: The Effect of Childhood Obesity on the Development of Socioemotional Skills," Journal of Human Capital, University of Chicago Press, vol. 11(2), pages 263-295.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:jhucap:doi:10.1086/692016
    DOI: 10.1086/692016
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    Cited by:

    1. Victor Iturra & Mauricio Sarrias, 2023. "The Impact of Bodyweight on Life Satisfaction among School-Aged Children: Are the Mechanisms Gender-Based?," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 16(1), pages 135-165, February.
    2. Rosemary Elkins & Stefanie Schurer, 2018. "Exploring the role of fathers in non-cognitive skill development over the lifecourse," Working Papers 2018-034, Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group.
    3. Rosemary Elkins & Stefanie Schurer, 2020. "Exploring the role of parental engagement in non-cognitive skill development over the lifecourse," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 33(3), pages 957-1004, July.
    4. Gaitz, Jason & Schurer, Stefanie, 2017. "Bonus Skills: Examining the Effect of an Unconditional Cash Transfer on Child Human Capital Formation," IZA Discussion Papers 10525, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Sarrias, Mauricio & Blanco, Alejandra, 2022. "Bodyweight and human capital development: Assessing the impact of obesity on socioemotional skills during childhood in Chile," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 47(C).
    6. Rouse, Kathryn & Hunziker, Brooke, 2020. "Child bodyweight and human capital: Test scores, teacher assessments and noncognitive skills," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).

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