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How Do Peers Influence BMI? Evidence from Randomly Assigned Classrooms in South Korea

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  • Jaegeum Lim
  • Jonathan Meer

Abstract

Obesity among children is an important public health concern, and social networks may play a role in students' habits that increase the likelihood of being overweight. We examine data from South Korean middle schools, where students are randomly assigned to classrooms, and exploit the variation in peer body mass index. We use the number of peers' siblings as an instrument to account for endogeneity concerns and measurement error. Heavier peers increase the likelihood that a student is heavier; there is no spurious correlation for height, which is unlikely to have peer contagion. Public policy that targets obesity can have spillovers through social networks.

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  • Jaegeum Lim & Jonathan Meer, 2017. "How Do Peers Influence BMI? Evidence from Randomly Assigned Classrooms in South Korea," NBER Working Papers 23901, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:23901
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    Cited by:

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    2. Binder, Alice & Naderer, Brigitte & Matthes, Jörg, 2019. "Do children's food choices go with the crowd? Effects of majority and minority peer cues shown within an audiovisual cartoon on children's healthy food choice," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 225(C), pages 42-50.
    3. Christos Nicolaides & Demetris Avraam & Luis Cueto‐Felgueroso & Marta C. González & Ruben Juanes, 2020. "Hand‐Hygiene Mitigation Strategies Against Global Disease Spreading through the Air Transportation Network," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 40(4), pages 723-740, April.
    4. Ana Balsa & Carlos Díaz, 2018. "Social interactions in health behaviors and conditions," Documentos de Trabajo/Working Papers 1802, Facultad de Ciencias Empresariales y Economia. Universidad de Montevideo..
    5. Lim, Jaeun & Cornwell, Benjamin, 2023. "Social network-structural position and obesity: Evidence from a national study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 329(C).
    6. Ou, Susan, 2019. "Are some neighborhoods bad for your waistline? A test of neighborhood exposure effects on BMI," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 52-63.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth

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