War during childhood: The long run effects of warfare on health

Mevlude Akbulut-Yuksel

Journal of Health Economics, 2017, vol. 53, issue C, 117-130

Abstract: This paper estimates the causal long-term consequences of an exposure to war in utero and during childhood on the risk of obesity and the probability of having a chronic health condition in adulthood. Using the plausibly exogenous city-by-cohort variation in the intensity of WWII destruction as a unique quasi-experiment, I find that individuals who were exposed to WWII destruction during the prenatal and early postnatal periods have higher BMIs and are more likely to be obese as adults. I also find an elevated incidence of chronic health conditions such as stroke, hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disorder in adulthood among these wartime children.

Keywords: Warfare; Body size; Health conditions; Children (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I10 I12 J13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (56)

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Working Paper: War during Childhood: The Long Run Effects of Warfare on Health (2017)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jhecon:v:53:y:2017:i:c:p:117-130

DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2017.02.005

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