Arbeitspapier

Peer Effects on Childhood and Adolescent Obesity in China

Using data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS), this study analyzes peer effects on obesity in a sample of 3- to 18-year-old children and adolescents in China. Even after a rich set of covariates and unobserved individual heterogeneity are controlled for, it is evident that such peer effects do indeed exist. These effects are stronger in rural areas, among individuals at the upper end of the BMI distribution, and especially among females. All else being equal, female adolescents whose peers have a higher BMI are less likely to consider themselves overweight, suggesting that peer effects may be working through changed societal bodyweight norms.

Language
Englisch

Bibliographic citation
Series: IZA Discussion Papers ; No. 8528

Classification
Wirtschaft
Health: General
Health and Economic Development
Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
Semiparametric and Nonparametric Methods: General
Subject
peer effects
children and adolescents
BMI
China

Event
Geistige Schöpfung
(who)
Nie, Peng
Sousa-Poza, Alfonso
He, Xiaobo
Event
Veröffentlichung
(who)
Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)
(where)
Bonn
(when)
2014

Handle
Last update
10.03.2025, 11:42 AM CET

Data provider

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Object type

  • Arbeitspapier

Associated

  • Nie, Peng
  • Sousa-Poza, Alfonso
  • He, Xiaobo
  • Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)

Time of origin

  • 2014

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