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*** Article withdrawn *** The Effect of Child Weight on Academic Performance: Evidence using Genetic Markers

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Author Info
von Hinke Kessler Scholder, S
Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between children’s weight and academic outcomes using genetic markers as instruments to account for the possible endogeneity of body size. We use medically assessed measures of body size which are more appropriate than the generally used BMI measures. OLS results indicate that leaner children perform better in school tests compared to their heavier counterparts, but the IV results, using genetic markers as instruments, show no evidence that fat mass affects academic outcomes. We compare these IV results to those using the instruments generally adopted in this literature. We show that the results are sensitive to the instrument set and argue that several of the commonly used instruments do not meet the exclusion restrictions required of a valid instrument.

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Paper provided by HEDG, c/o Department of Economics, University of York in its series Health, Econometrics and Data Group (HEDG) Working Papers with number 09/25.

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Date of creation: Jul 2009
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Handle: RePEc:yor:hectdg:09/25

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Related research
Keywords: Child weight; Academic Performance; Educational Outcomes; Instrumental Variables; Mendelian Randomization; Genetic Markers; DXA; Body Mass Index; ALSPAC;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
I1 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health
I2 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education
J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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References listed on IDEAS
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    Other versions:
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  12. Patrick Royston, 2004. "Multiple imputation of missing values," Stata Journal, StataCorp LP, vol. 4(3), pages 227-241, September. [Downloadable!]
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