IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v17y2020i21p7806-d434426.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Stunting Rates in a Food-Rich Country: The Argentine Pampas from the 1850s to the 1950s

Author

Listed:
  • Ricardo D. Salvatore

    (Departamento de Estudios Históricos y Sociales, Universidad Torcuato Di Tella, Argentina, Figueroa Alcorta 7350, C1428BCW Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Abstract

Little is known about the effects of malnutrition rates in the long-run. Applying the methodology recommended by the World Health Organization, this study estimates stunting rates for Argentine adult males from the 1850s to the 1950s. We use five large samples of army recruits, prison inmates, militiamen, and electoral records totaling 84,500 cases. These samples provide information about height in Buenos Aires province and the Pampa region, the most fertile, food-producing area of the country. As the study shows, estimated stunting rates remained stable from the 1850s to the 1880s and then declined persistently until the 1950s. The total decline was substantial: if fell from 15.3% in the 1870s to 5.6% in the 1940s, then stagnated. In this 95-year period, stunting rates went from “medium” to “low” levels in the WHO classification of malnutrition intensity. At the end of our study period (the 1950s) the Pampa’s malnutrition rate was only 3.5 to 4 percentage points above contemporary estimates for well-developed economies in Europe and North America. A significant expansion in the region’s production of grains and beef (food availability), combined with a sustained decline in infant mortality (increased health) were probably the two main underlying factors of this long-tern reduction in malnutrition. Yet, this association remains to be determined.

Suggested Citation

  • Ricardo D. Salvatore, 2020. "Stunting Rates in a Food-Rich Country: The Argentine Pampas from the 1850s to the 1950s," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-22, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:21:p:7806-:d:434426
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/21/7806/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/21/7806/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Martínez-Carrión, José M. & Salvatore, Ricardo D., 2019. "Inequality And Well-Being In Iberian And Latin American Regions Since 1820. New Approaches From Anthropometric History," Revista de Historia Económica / Journal of Iberian and Latin American Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 37(2), pages 193-204, September.
    2. Himaz, Rozana, 2018. "Stunting later in childhood and outcomes as a young adult: Evidence from India," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 344-357.
    3. Salvatore, Ricardo D., 2019. "Net Nutrition Inequality In Argentina, 1875–1950: New Evidence And Some Conjectures," Revista de Historia Económica / Journal of Iberian and Latin American Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 37(2), pages 339-376, September.
    4. Salvatore, Ricardo, 2019. "The biological wellbeing of the working-poor: The height of prisoners in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, 1885–1939," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 92-102.
    5. Schneider, Eric B., 2018. "Sample selection biases and the historical growth pattern of children," Economic History Working Papers 87075, London School of Economics and Political Science, Department of Economic History.
    6. Jane Humphries & Tim Leunig, 2009. "Cities, market integration, and going to sea: stunting and the standard of living in early nineteenth‐century England and Wales1," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 62(2), pages 458-478, May.
    7. Gilles Postel‐Vinay & David E. Sahn, 2010. "Explaining stunting in nineteenth‐century France," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 63(2), pages 315-334, May.
    8. Challú, Amílcar E. & Silva-Castañeda, Sergio, 2016. "Towards an anthropometric history of latin America in the second half of the twentieth century," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 23(C), pages 226-234.
    9. Bodenhorn, Howard & Guinnane, Timothy W. & Mroz, Thomas A., 2017. "Sample-Selection Biases and the Industrialization Puzzle," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 77(1), pages 171-207, March.
    10. Lopez-Alonso, Moramay & Condey, Raul Porras, 2003. "The ups and downs of Mexican economic growth: the biological standard of living and inequality, 1870-1950," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 1(2), pages 169-186, June.
    11. Weir, David R., 1993. "Parental Consumption Decisions and Child Health During the Early French Fertility Decline, 1790–1914," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 53(2), pages 259-274, June.
    12. Baten, Joerg & Pelger, Ines & Twrdek, Linda, 2009. "The anthropometric history of Argentina, Brazil and Peru during the 19th and early 20th century," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 7(3), pages 319-333, December.
    13. Sarah Burgard, 2002. "Does race matter? Children’s height in Brazil and South Africa," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 39(4), pages 763-790, November.
    14. Salvatore, Ricardo D., 2007. "Heights, Nutrition, and Well-Being in Argentina, ca. 1850–1950. Preliminary Results," Revista de Historia Económica / Journal of Iberian and Latin American Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 25(1), pages 53-85, January.
    15. Franken, Daniel, 2019. "Anthropometric History Of Brazil, 1850–1950: Insights From Military And Passport Records," Revista de Historia Económica / Journal of Iberian and Latin American Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 37(2), pages 377-408, September.
    16. Steckel, Richard H. & Ziebarth, Nicolas, 2016. "Trader Selectivity and Measured Catch-Up Growth of American Slaves," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 76(1), pages 109-138, March.
    17. Deborah Oxley, 2003. "‘The seat of death and terror’: urbanization, stunting, and smallpox," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 56(4), pages 623-656, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Manuel Llorca-Jaña & Diego Barría Traverso & Diego del Barrio Vásquez & Javier Rivas, 2021. "Malnutrition Rates in Chile from the Nitrate Era to the 1990s," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-17, December.
    2. Javier Núñez & Graciela Pérez, 2021. "The Escape from Malnutrition of Chilean Boys and Girls: Height-for-Age Z Scores in Late XIX and XX Centuries," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(19), pages 1-20, October.
    3. Linares-Luján, Antonio M. & Parejo-Moruno, Francisco M., 2022. "Short men in poor lands: The agrarian workers from southwestern Spain in anthropometric perspective," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 47(C).
    4. Antonio M. Linares-Luján & Francisco M. Parejo-Moruno, 2021. "Rural Height Penalty or Socioeconomic Penalization? The Nutritional Inequality in Backward Spain," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(9), pages 1-25, April.
    5. Begoña Candela-Martínez & José M. Martínez-Carrión & Cándido Román-Cervantes, 2021. "Biological Well-Being and Inequality in Canary Islands: Lanzarote (Cohorts 1886–1982)," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(23), pages 1-21, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Javier Núñez & Graciela Pérez, 2021. "The Escape from Malnutrition of Chilean Boys and Girls: Height-for-Age Z Scores in Late XIX and XX Centuries," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(19), pages 1-20, October.
    2. Manuel Llorca-Jaña & Juan Navarrete-Montalvo & Roberto Araya-Valenzuela & Federico Droller & Martina Allende & Javier Rivas, 2021. "Height in twentieth-century Chilean men: growth with divergence," Cliometrica, Journal of Historical Economics and Econometric History, Association Française de Cliométrie (AFC), vol. 15(1), pages 135-166, January.
    3. Manuel Llorca-Jaña & Javier Rivas & Damian Clarke & Diego Barría Traverso, 2020. "Height of Male Prisoners in Santiago de Chile during the Nitrate Era: The Penalty of being Unskilled, Illiterate, Illegitimate and Mapuche," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(17), pages 1-24, August.
    4. Llorca-Jaña, Manuel & Clarke, Damian & Navarrete-Montalvo, Juan & Araya-Valenzuela, Roberto & Allende, Martina, 2020. "New anthropometric evidence on living standards in nineteenth-century Chile," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 36(C).
    5. Branisa, Boris & Peres-Cajías, Jose & Caspa, Nigel, 2020. "The biological standard of living in La Paz (Bolivia), 1880s–1920s: Persistent stagnation and inequality," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 37(C).
    6. Moreno- Lázaro, Javier, 2023. "Height and standard of living in Puerto Rico from the Spanish enlightenment to annexation by the United States, 1770–1924," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).
    7. Dobado-González, Rafael & Garcia-Hiernaux, Alfredo, 2017. "Two worlds apart: Determinants of height in late 18th century central Mexico," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 153-163.
    8. Fourie, Johan & Inwood, Kris & Mariotti, Martine, 2022. "Living standards in settler South Africa, 1865–1920," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 47(C).
    9. Steckel, Richard H., 2009. "Heights and human welfare: Recent developments and new directions," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 46(1), pages 1-23, January.
    10. Schneider, Eric B., 2020. "Collider bias in economic history research," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    11. Llorca-Jaña, Manuel & Navarrete-Montalvo, Juan & Droller, Federico & Araya-Valenzuela, Roberto, 2018. "Height in eighteenth-century Chilean men: Evidence from military records, 1730–1800s," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 168-178.
    12. Koepke, Nikola & Floris, Joël & Pfister, Christian & Rühli, Frank J. & Staub, Kaspar, 2018. "Ladies first: Female and male adult height in Switzerland, 1770–1930," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 76-87.
    13. Grajales-Porras, Agustín & López-Alonso, Moramay, 2011. "Physical stature of men in eighteenth century Mexico: Evidence from Puebla," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 9(3), pages 265-271, July.
    14. Persaud, Alexander, 2023. "Historical height measurement consistency: Evidence from colonial Trinidad," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    15. Twrdek, Linda & Manzel, Kerstin, 2010. "The seed of abundance and misery: Peruvian living standards from the early republican period to the end of the guano era (1820-1880)," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 8(2), pages 145-152, July.
    16. Meisel-Roca, Adolfo & Ramírez-Giraldo, María Teresa & Santos-Cárdenas, Daniela, 2019. "Long run relationship between biological well being, and economic development in Colombia," Working papers 24, Red Investigadores de Economía.
    17. Schneider, Eric B., 2018. "Sample selection biases and the historical growth pattern of children," Economic History Working Papers 87075, London School of Economics and Political Science, Department of Economic History.
    18. Escamilla-Guerrero, David & López-Alonso, Moramay, 2023. "Migrant Self-Selection and Random Shocks: Evidence from the Panic of 1907," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 83(1), pages 45-85, March.
    19. Francisco J. Marco-Gracia & Margarita López-Antón, 2021. "Rethinking the Fertility Transition in Rural Aragón (Spain) Using Height Data," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-28, August.
    20. Bailey, Roy E. & Hatton, Timothy J. & Inwood, Kris, 2014. "Health, Height and the Household at the Turn of the 20th Century," IZA Discussion Papers 8128, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:21:p:7806-:d:434426. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.