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Early life height and weight production functions with endogenous energy and protein inputs

Author

Listed:
  • Puentes, Esteban
  • Wang, Fan
  • Behrman, Jere R.
  • Cunha, Flavio
  • Hoddinott, John
  • Maluccio, John A.
  • Adair, Linda S.
  • Borja, Judith B.
  • Martorell, Reynaldo
  • Stein, Aryeh D.

Abstract

We examine effects of protein and energy intakes on height and weight growth for children between 6 and 24 months old in Guatemala and the Philippines. Using instrumental variables to control for endogeneity and estimating multiple specifications, we find that protein intake plays an important and positive role in height and weight growth in the 6–24 month period. Energy from other macronutrients, however, does not have a robust relation with these two anthropometric measures. Our estimates indicate that in contexts with substantial child undernutrition, increases in protein-rich food intake in the first 24 months can have important growth effects, which previous studies indicate are related significantly to a range of outcomes over the life cycle.

Suggested Citation

  • Puentes, Esteban & Wang, Fan & Behrman, Jere R. & Cunha, Flavio & Hoddinott, John & Maluccio, John A. & Adair, Linda S. & Borja, Judith B. & Martorell, Reynaldo & Stein, Aryeh D., 2016. "Early life height and weight production functions with endogenous energy and protein inputs," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 22(C), pages 65-81.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ehbiol:v:22:y:2016:i:c:p:65-81
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2016.03.002
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Christophe Muller & Nouréini Sayouti, 2019. "How Do Agro-Pastoral Policies Affect the Dietary Intake of Agro-Pastoralists? Evidence from Niger," AMSE Working Papers 1917, Aix-Marseille School of Economics, France, revised Apr 2020.
    2. Mark R. Rosenzweig & Rafael J. Santos Villagran, 2020. "Is Fish Brain Food or Brain Poison? Sea Surface Temperature, Methyl-mercury and Child Cognitive Development," NBER Working Papers 26957, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Augsburg, Britta & Rodríguez-Lesmes, Paul Andrés, 2018. "Sanitation and child health in India," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 22-39.
    4. Elisabetta De Cao, 2015. "The Height Production Function from Birth to Age Two," Journal of Human Capital, University of Chicago Press, vol. 9(3), pages 329-363.
    5. Mulmi, Prajula & Block, Steven A. & Shively, Gerald E. & Masters, William A., 2016. "Climatic conditions and child height: Sex-specific vulnerability and the protective effects of sanitation and food markets in Nepal," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 23(C), pages 63-75.
    6. Otterbach, Steffen & Rogan, Michael, 2017. "Spatial Differences in Stunting and Household Agricultural Production in South Africa: (Re-)Examining the Links Using National Panel Survey Data," IZA Discussion Papers 11008, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    7. Gabriella Conti & Giacomo Mason & Stavros Poupakis, 2019. "Developmental Origins of Health Inequality," Working Papers 2019-041, Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group.
    8. Choudhury, Samira & Headey, Derek D., 2018. "Household dairy production and child growth: Evidence from Bangladesh," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 150-161.
    9. Gabriella Conti & Mark Hanson & Hazel M. Inskip & Sarah Crozier & Cyrus Cooper & Keith Godfrey, 2018. "Beyond birth weight: the origins of human capital," IFS Working Papers W18/30, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
    10. Duc, Le Thuc, 2019. "Household wealth and gender gap widening in height: Evidence from adolescents in Ethiopia, India, Peru, and Vietnam," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 208-215.
    11. Laura Abramovsky & Britta Augsburg & Pamela Jervis & Bansi Malde & Angus Phimister, 2019. "Complementarities in the Production of Child Health," IFS Working Papers W19/15, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
    12. Bauer, Jan M. & Mburu, Samuel, 2017. "Effects of drought on child health in Marsabit District, Northern Kenya," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 74-79.
    13. Aurino, Elisabetta & Morrow, Virginia, 2018. "“Food prices were high, and the dal became watery”. Mixed-method evidence on household food insecurity and children’s diets in India," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 211-224.
    14. Humphries, Debbie L. & Dearden, Kirk A. & Crookston, Benjamin T. & Woldehanna, Tassew & Penny, Mary E. & Behrman, Jere R., 2017. "Household food group expenditure patterns are associated with child anthropometry at ages 5, 8 and 12 years in Ethiopia, India, Peru and Vietnam," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 26(C), pages 30-41.
    15. Jere R. Behrman & Flávio Cunha & Esteban Puentes & Fan Wang, 2018. "You Are What Your Parents Think: Height and Local Reference Points," PIER Working Paper Archive 18-007, Penn Institute for Economic Research, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania, revised 22 Apr 2018.
    16. Liu, Xiaoying & Hannum, Emily, 2017. "Early poverty exposure predicts young adult educational outcomes in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 79-97.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Nutrition; Early childhood; Endogeneity of inputs; Growth; Proteins;

    JEL classification:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • C13 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Estimation: General

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