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Is Being in School Better? The Impact of School on Children's BMI When Starting Age is Endogenous

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  • Patricia M. Anderson
  • Kristin F. Butcher
  • Elizabeth U. Cascio
  • Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach

Abstract

In this paper, we investigate the impact of attending school on body weight and obesity. We use school starting age cutoff dates to compare weight outcomes for similar age children with different years of school exposure. As is the case with academic outcomes, school exposure is related to unobserved determinants of weight outcomes because some families choose to have their child start school late (or early). If one does not account for this endogeneity, it appears that an additional year of school exposure results in a greater BMI and a higher probability of being overweight or obese. When actual exposure is instrumented with expected exposure based on school starting dates and birthday, the significant positive effects disappear, and most point estimates become negative and insignificant. However, for children not eating the school lunch, there is a significant negative effect on the probability of being overweight.

Suggested Citation

  • Patricia M. Anderson & Kristin F. Butcher & Elizabeth U. Cascio & Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach, 2011. "Is Being in School Better? The Impact of School on Children's BMI When Starting Age is Endogenous," NBER Working Papers 16673, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:16673
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Courtemanche, Charles & Tchernis, Rusty & Zhou, Xilin, 2017. "Parental Work Hours and Childhood Obesity: Evidence Using Instrumental Variables Related to Sibling School Eligibility," IZA Discussion Papers 10739, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    2. Zhou, Song & Awokuse, Titus O., "undated". "Urbanization, Nutrition Transition, and Obesity: Evidence from China," 2014 Annual Meeting, July 27-29, 2014, Minneapolis, Minnesota 170458, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    3. Chang, Chaeyoung & Jung, Haeil, 2017. "The role of formal schooling on weight in young children," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 1-12.
    4. Luca Fumarco & Sven Hartmann & Francesco Principe, 2024. "A neglected determinant of eating behaviors: Relative age," IAAEU Discussion Papers 202403, Institute of Labour Law and Industrial Relations in the European Union (IAAEU).
    5. Georgia S. Papoutsi & Andreas C. Drichoutis & Rodolfo M. Nayga Jr., 2013. "The Causes Of Childhood Obesity: A Survey," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(4), pages 743-767, September.
    6. Yang, Juan & SICULAR, Terry & LAI, Desheng, 2014. "The changing determinants of high school attainment in rural China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 551-566.
    7. Levasseur, Pierre, 2022. "School starting age and nutritional outcomes: Evidence from Brazil," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 45(C).
    8. Jo, Young, 2014. "What money can buy: Family income and childhood obesity," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 15(C), pages 1-12.
    9. Michael Bahrs & Mathias Schumann, 2020. "Unlucky to be young? The long-term effects of school starting age on smoking behavior and health," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 33(2), pages 555-600, April.
    10. Pierre Levasseur, 2022. "School starting age and nutritional outcomes: Evidence from Brazil," Post-Print hal-03511976, HAL.
    11. Bahrs, Michael & Schumann, Mathias, 2016. "Unlucky to Be Young? The Long-Term Effects of School Starting Age on Smoking Behaviour and Health," hche Research Papers 13, University of Hamburg, Hamburg Center for Health Economics (hche).
    12. Bent E. Mikkelsen & Annette Q. Romani & Maria P. Brandão, 2021. "Do Crowding-Out Effects Explain the Low Effect of a Health Promotion Intervention among Young People at a Vocational School?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-18, October.
    13. Andrew James Williams & Katrina M Wyatt & Craig A Williams & Stuart Logan & William E Henley, 2015. "Exploring the Potential of a School Impact on Pupil Weight Status: Exploratory Factor Analysis and Repeat Cross-Sectional Study of the National Child Measurement Programme," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(12), pages 1-23, December.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education

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