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Intergenerational health consequences of the 1959–1961 Great Famine on children in rural China

Author

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  • Li, Qiang
  • An, Lian

Abstract

Using a difference-in-difference method and data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS), this paper attempts to quantify the intergenerational health effects on children in rural China of the 1959–1961 Great Famine. By differentiating mother, father, both parents, and none of parents exposed to famine, the analysis puts mother's and father's famine exposure in one unifying framework. Therefore, the methodology achieves identification without concern for multicollinearity and omitted variable bias found in the previous literature. The results imply that children with both parents born in the Great Famine are significantly shorter by 0.37 standard deviations (1.89cm for boys and 1.78cm for girls) compared to children with no parents born in the mass starvation. There are also gender and age differences relative to the intergenerational effects of the famine. Girls suffer more than boys, and children between 8 and 12 years of age suffer more than the other age groups.

Suggested Citation

  • Li, Qiang & An, Lian, 2015. "Intergenerational health consequences of the 1959–1961 Great Famine on children in rural China," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 18(C), pages 27-40.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ehbiol:v:18:y:2015:i:c:p:27-40
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2015.03.003
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    Cited by:

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    4. Li, Qiang & Liu, Gordon & Zang, Wenbin, 2015. "The health of left-behind children in rural China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 367-376.
    5. King, Christian, 2018. "Food insecurity and child behavior problems in fragile families," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 28(C), pages 14-22.
    6. 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).
    7. Alacevich, Caterina & Tarozzi, Alessandro, 2017. "Child height and intergenerational transmission of health: Evidence from ethnic Indians in England," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 25(C), pages 65-84.
    8. 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).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    The Great Famine; Health; Intergenerational;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General

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