The long run health and economic consequences of famine on survivors: Evidence from China’s great famine

Article on the effect of childhood exposure to China's Great Famine on adult health and labor market outcomes of survivors. It resolved two major empirical difficulties: 1) data limitation in measures of famine intensity; and 2) the potential joint determination of famine occurrences and survivors' outcomes. As a measure of famine intensity, regional cohort size of the surviving population was used in a place and time when there is little migration. A novel source of plausibly exogenous variation in famine intensity to estimate the causal effect of childhood exposure to famine on adult health, educational attainment and labor supply was exploited. The results showed that exposure to famine had significant adverse effects on adult health and work capacity. The magnitude of the effect was negatively correlated with age at the onset of the famine. For example, for those who were one year old at the onset of the famine, exposure on average reduced height by 2.08% (3.34cm), weight by 6.03% (3.38kg), weight-for-height by 4% (0.01 kg/cm), upper arm circumference by 3.95% (0.99cm) and labor supply by 6.93% (3.28 hrs/week). The results also suggested that famine exposure decreased educational attainment by 3% (0.19 years); and that selection for survival decreased within-region inequality in famine stricken regions.