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The Long-term Health Effects of Fetal Malnutrition: Evidence from the 1959-1961 China Great Leap Forward Famine

Author

Listed:
  • Kim, Seonghoon

    (Singapore Management University)

  • Fleisher, Belton M.

    (Ohio State University)

  • Sun, Jessica Ya

    (Huazhong University)

Abstract
We report evidence of long-term adverse health impacts of in utero exposure to malnutrition based on survivors in their 50s who were born during the China Famine that occurred in the years 1959-1961. We take advantage of recently available data provided by the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) to corroborate evidence supporting the Fetal Origin Hypothesis. We find that fetal exposure to malnutrition has large and long-lasting impacts on both physical health and cognitive abilities, including the risks of suffering a stroke, physical disabilities in speech, walking and vision, and measures of mental acuity. Our findings on the health impacts of fetal malnutrition on middle-age survivors suggest that it would be desirable to trace the changes of health status of the famine survivors as they age into later life stages. We suspect that such further study would support the lifetime benefits of in utero and early infancy health interventions that extend through the life cycle in the form of avoiding both physical and mental impairment.

Suggested Citation

  • Kim, Seonghoon & Fleisher, Belton M. & Sun, Jessica Ya, 2015. "The Long-term Health Effects of Fetal Malnutrition: Evidence from the 1959-1961 China Great Leap Forward Famine," IZA Discussion Papers 9093, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp9093
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Kim, Seonghoon & Deng, Quheng & Fleisher, Belton M. & Li, Shi, 2014. "The Lasting Impact of Parental Early Life Malnutrition on Their Offspring: Evidence from the China Great Leap Forward Famine," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 232-242.
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    Cited by:

    1. Zichen Deng & Maarten Lindeboom, 2021. "Early-life Famine Exposure, Hunger Recall and Later-life Health," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 21-054/V, Tinbergen Institute.
    2. Deng, Zichen & Lindeboom, Maarten, 2021. "Early-Life Famine Exposure, Hunger Recall and Later-Life Health," IZA Discussion Papers 14487, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Lay Margaret J. & Norling Johannes, 2020. "The Consequences of the 1959–1961 Chinese Famine for Educational Attainment," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 20(2), pages 1-23, April.
    4. Thompson, Kristina & Lindeboom, Maarten & Portrait, France, 2019. "Adult body height as a mediator between early-life conditions and socio-economic status: the case of the Dutch Potato Famine, 1846–1847," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 103-114.
    5. Liang, Yu & Dong, Jing, 2022. "The impact of the send-down experience on the health of elderly Chinese women: Evidence from the China family panel studies," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 377-389.
    6. Jiyuan Wang & Rob Alessie & Viola Angelini, 2023. "Exposure in utero to adverse events and health late‐in‐life: Evidence from China," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(3), pages 541-557, March.
    7. Li, Yanan & Sunder, Naveen, 2021. "What doesn’t kill her, will make her depressed," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 43(C).
    8. Nourin Shabnam & Mehmet A. Ulubaşoğlu & Cahit Guven, 2022. "Food Affordability and Double Catastrophe in Early Life: Lessons from the 1974–75 Bangladesh Famine," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 98(S1), pages 24-51, September.
    9. Cheng, Zhiming & Guo, Wei & Hayward, Mathew & Smyth, Russell & Wang, Haining, 2021. "Childhood adversity and the propensity for entrepreneurship: A quasi-experimental study of the Great Chinese Famine," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 36(1).
    10. Matsushima, Midori & Shimizutani, Satoshi & Yamada, Hiroyuki, 2018. "Life course consequences of low birth weight: Evidence from Japan," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 37-47.
    11. Raveh, Ohad & Zhang, Yan, 2022. "The Long-Term Health Effects of Oil Discoveries: Evidence from China," MPRA Paper 114059, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    12. Zichen Deng & Maarten Lindeboom, 2021. "Early-life Famine Exposure, Hunger Recall and Later-life Health," Papers 2021-04, Centre for Health Economics, Monash University.
    13. Li, Jinhu & Menon, Nidhiya, 2020. "Echo Effects of Early-Life Health Shocks: The Intergenerational Consequences of Prenatal Malnutrition during the Great Leap Forward Famine in China," IZA Discussion Papers 13171, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    14. Yu, Yangyang & Sloan, Frank A., 2017. "Trends in elderly health by cohort: Evidence from China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 282-295.
    15. Yiru Wang, 2023. "Famine and matching by socioeconomic status—evidence from the Great Chinese Famine," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 21(3), pages 855-912, September.
    16. Yao, Yuxin & Zhang, Yi, 2023. "The long-term and intergenerational effects of early-life hunger experience on human capital and labor market outcomes," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    17. Raveh, Ohad & Zhang, Yan, . "Giant Oil Discoveries and Long-Term Health Effects: Evidence from China," Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Western Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 49(2).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    health; fetal origin hypothesis; malnutrition; China Famine;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • J14 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of the Elderly; Economics of the Handicapped; Non-Labor Market Discrimination

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