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An Economic Analysis of Household Income Inequality and BMI in China

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  • Jianfeng Yao and Fafanyo Asiseh

    (North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University)

Abstract

This paper explores the relationship between household income inequality at county level and Body Mass Index (BMI). The hypotheses associating BMI with income inequality are tested. Unlike most literature that found positive linear relationship between prevalence of overweight or obesity and household income inequality, by using a longitudinal data from China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) between 1991 and 2011, we find that BMI will first decrease with household income inequality and then increase at an increasing rate, which suggests that high inequality may speed up the possibility of being overweight and obese. Policy measures on controlling obesity should be directed towards reducing inequality.

Suggested Citation

  • Jianfeng Yao and Fafanyo Asiseh, 2019. "An Economic Analysis of Household Income Inequality and BMI in China," Journal of Economic Development, Chung-Ang Unviersity, Department of Economics, vol. 44(1), pages 23-37, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:jed:journl:v:44:y:2019:i:1:p:23-37
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Liu, Jian & Ren, Yanjun & Glauben, Thomas, 2021. "The effect of income inequality on nutritional outcomes: Evidence from rural China," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 22(3), pages 125-143.
    2. Anqi Shen & Eduardo Bernabé & Wael Sabbah, 2020. "The Socioeconomic Inequality in Increment of Caries and Growth among Chinese Children," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-9, June.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Inequality; BMI; China; Household Income; Health;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I14 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Inequality
    • O53 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Asia including Middle East

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