Infant mortality and adult stature in Spain

This paper presents new evidence concerning the relationship between environmental conditions in the year of birth (as reflected in the infant mortality rate (IMR) and gross domestic product per capita) and adult health (adult height). We perform an analysis across Spanish regions for cohorts born b...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Social science & medicine (1982) 2011-06, Vol.72 (11), p.1893-1903
Main Authors: Quintana-Domeque, Climent, Bozzoli, Carlos, Bosch, Mariano
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adjustment
Adult
Adults
Biological and medical sciences
Body Height
Body Height - physiology
Child health
Childhood
Cohort Studies
Diseases
Economic conditions
Environmental conditions
Epidemiology
Female
General aspects
Gross Domestic Product - statistics & numerical data
Gross Domestic Product - trends
Health Care Services
Health inequality
Health Problems
Height
Humans
Income
Income inequality
Inequality
Infant
Infant Mortality
Infant Mortality - trends
Infant mortality Height Income Inequality Spain Economic conditions
Male
Medical sciences
Miscellaneous
Mortality Rates
Per capita income
Public health. Hygiene
Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine
Socioeconomic Factors
Socioeconomic status
Spain
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:This paper presents new evidence concerning the relationship between environmental conditions in the year of birth (as reflected in the infant mortality rate (IMR) and gross domestic product per capita) and adult health (adult height). We perform an analysis across Spanish regions for cohorts born between 1961 and 1980, a period when the country underwent a socioeconomic and political transformation. We find that a reduction in the IMR of 30 individuals per 1000 (similar to that achieved by Spain between 1961 and 1980) explains an increase in average height of about 2.7 cm, about 70% of the gain in average adult stature during this period. Our results, which are robust to several adjustments, suggest that the burden of disease in childhood can have long-lasting effects on health, and that these are reflected in differences in adult stature. ► The infant mortality rate (IMR) in the year of birth is a strong predictor of the mean adult height of the survivors. ► In Spain, the reduction in the IMR between 1961 and 1980 explains an increase in average adult height of about 2.7 cm. ► The burden of disease in childhood can have long-lasting effects in health, which are reflected in adult stature.
ISSN:0277-9536
1873-5347
DOI:10.1016/j.socscimed.2011.03.042