The Impact of Poor Health on Education: New Evidence Using Genetic Markers

Weili Ding, Steven Lehrer (), J. Niels Rosenquist and Janet Audrain-McGovern

No 12304, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: This paper examines the influence of health conditions on academic performance during adolescence. To account for the endogeneity of health outcomes and their interactions with risky behaviors we exploit natural variation within a set of genetic markers across individuals. We present strong evidence that these genetic markers serve as valid instruments with good statistical properties for ADHD, depression and obesity. They help to reveal a new dynamism from poor health to lower academic achievement with substantial heterogeneity in their impacts across genders. Our investigation further exposes the considerable challenges in identifying health impacts due to the prevalence of comorbid health conditions and endogenous health behaviors.

JEL-codes: I2 I1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-edu, nep-hea and nep-ure
Date: 2006-06
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Working Paper: The Impact of Poor Health on Education: New Evidence Using Genetic Markers (2006)
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