Peer Effects on Obesity in a Sample of European Children

Wencke Gwozdz (), Alfonso Sousa-Poza, Lucia A. Reisch (), Karin Bammann (), Gabriele Eiben (), Yiannis Kourides (), Eva Kovács (), Fabio Lauria (), Kenn Konstabel (), Alba M. Santaliestra-Pasias (), Krishna Vyncke () and Iris Pigeot ()
Additional contact information
Wencke Gwozdz: Copenhagen Business School
Lucia A. Reisch: Copenhagen Business School
Karin Bammann: University of Bremen
Gabriele Eiben: University of Gothenburg
Yiannis Kourides: Research and Education Institute of Child Health, Cyprus
Eva Kovács: University of Pecs
Fabio Lauria: National Research Council, Italy
Kenn Konstabel: University of Tartu
Alba M. Santaliestra-Pasias: University of Zaragoza
Krishna Vyncke: Ghent University
Iris Pigeot: University of Bremen

No 9051, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: This study analyzes peer effects on childhood obesity using data from the first two waves of the IDEFICS study, which applies several anthropometric and other measures of fatness to approximately 14,000 children aged two to nine participating in both waves in 16 regions of eight European countries. Peers are defined as same-sex children in the same school and age group. The results show that peer effects do exist in this European sample but that they differ among both regions and different fatness measures. Peer effects are larger in Spain, Italy, and Cyprus – the more collectivist regions in our sample – while waist circumference generally gives rise to larger peer effects than BMI. We also provide evidence that parental misperceptions of their own children's weight goes hand in hand with fatter peer groups, supporting the notion that in making such assessments, parents compare their children's weight with that of friends and schoolmates.

Keywords: obesity; children; peer effects; Europe (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I12 J13 J22 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 28 pages
Date: 2015-05
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-eur, nep-hea, nep-lma and nep-ure
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

Published - published in: Economics and Human Biology, 2015, 18, 139–152

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Journal Article: Peer effects on obesity in a sample of European children (2015)
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