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Long-term impacts of school nutrition: Evidence from China’s school meal reform

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  • Fang, Guanfu
  • Zhu, Ying

Abstract

Child malnutrition remains a major public health concern, especially in many developing countries. This paper examines the long-term effects of a school meal program on individuals’ cognitive and health outcomes in rural China. Exploiting the staggered implementation of the Student Nutrition Improvement Program (SNIP), we find that early exposure to the SNIP (ages 6–15) significantly improved children’s cognitive and health outcomes in the long run. These effects are not observed in urban residents who experienced similar socioeconomic changes in the same county. Empirical tests suggest that short-term improvements in children’s nutrient intakes and mothers’ labor market performance were likely to be potential mechanisms. Moreover, the effects of early exposure to the SNIP are stronger among children from low-socioeconomic status families. Our results suggest that the school nutrition program could be an important investment in children’s long-run human capital. This may be relevant for many developing countries today that attempt to provide or have provided subsidized school meals.

Suggested Citation

  • Fang, Guanfu & Zhu, Ying, 2022. "Long-term impacts of school nutrition: Evidence from China’s school meal reform," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:153:y:2022:i:c:s0305750x22000444
    DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2022.105854
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    1. Wang, Ge & Shi, Xinjie & Golley, Jane, 2024. "Feed the children, free the women? Evidence from the China rural nutrition improvement program," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    2. Zhou, Yanran & Ren, Jingru & Zheng, Xiaodong, 2024. "Feeding for a brighter future: The long-term labor market consequences of school meals in rural China," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).
    3. Cui, Yi & Zhao, Qiran & Si, Wei & Fan, Shenggen, 2024. "Can information intervention improve dietary quality? Evidence from a randomized controlled trial in rural China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    4. Qi, Ping & Deng, Lanfang & Li, Hongyi, 2024. "Does the county-based poverty reduction policy matter for children's human capital development?," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    5. 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).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    School meal; Cognitive ability; Health status; Mechanism;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H51 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Health
    • 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

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