Body Weight and Gender: Academic Choice and Performance

Barone, Adriana and Nese, Annamaria (2015): Body Weight and Gender: Academic Choice and Performance.

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between body weight and academic choice and performance, focusing on gender differences and using survey data from students at the University of Salerno in Italy.Our findings indicate a significant negative relationship between body weight and academic performance,particularly for female students.In our examination of BMI and field of study (i.e.,science vs.the humanities),our results indicate that overweight/obese females are less likely than those of average weight to pursue scientific studies, and hence, more remunerative careers.The asymmetry of the findings between males and females suggests that during late adolescence physicality plays different roles according to gender.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Human capital; Body weight; Educational economics; Microeconometrics
• Subjects: C - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods > C2 - Single Equation Models ; Single Variables > C25 - Discrete Regression and Qualitative Choice Models ; Discrete Regressors ; Proportions ; Probabilities; D - Microeconomics > D0 - General > D01 - Microeconomic Behavior: Underlying Principles; I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I1 - Health > I12 - Health Behavior; I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I2 - Education and Research Institutions > I21 - Analysis of Education; J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J2 - Demand and Supply of Labor > J24 - Human Capital ; Skills ; Occupational Choice ; Labor Productivity

References

References

Addabbo, T., & Favaro, D.,(2011).Gender wage differentials by education in Italy. Applied Economics,43(29),4589 – 4605. doi:10.1080/00036846.2010.491475.

AlmaLaurea.(2014).Rapporto AlmaLaurea 2014, Condizione occupazionale dei laureati,XVI Indagine,2013.Retrieved from https://www.almalaurea.it/universita/occupazione/occupazione12

Averett, S. (2011).Labor market consequences: Employment, wages, disability, and absenteeism. In J. Cawley (ed.),The Oxford Handbook of the Social Science of Obesity (2011),New York: Oxford University Press.

Averett S.(2014).Obesity and labor market outcomes,IZA World of Labor, May.

Averett, S., & Korenman, S.(1996).The economic reality of beauty myth. Journal of Human Resources,31(2),304 -330.

Bank of Italy.(2012).Survey on household income and wealth. Retrieved from http://www.bancaditalia.it/statistiche/indcamp.

Barone, A., & O’Higgins, N. (2010). Fat and out in Salerno and province: Adolescent obesity and early school leaving in Southern Italy. Economics and Human Biology, 8(1),44–57.

Barone A., & Nese A. (2014). Body weight and academic performance: Gender and peer effect, CELPE D.P. n.129 , University of Salerno.

Becker, G.S. (1964).Human Capital, a theoretical and empirical analysis with special reference to education. Chicago: Chicago University Press.

Becker, G. S., & Mulligan, C. B. (1997).The endogenous determination of time preference. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 112(3), 729 – 758.

Buonanno P. & Pozzoli D.(2009).Early labor market returns to college subject. Labour, 23(4), 559-588.

Borghans, L., & Golsteyn, B. H. H. (2006).Time discounting and the Body Mass Index. Evidence from the Netherlands,Economics and Human Biology, 4(1), 39 – 61. doi:10.1016/j.ehb.2005.10.001.

Brunello, G., & d’Hombres, B. (2007).Does body weight affect wages? Evidence from Europe. Economics and Human Biology, 5(1), 1 -19. doi:10.1016/j.ehb.2006.11.002.

Brunello, G., Michaud, P. C., & Sanz de Galdeano, A.(2008).The rise in obesity across the Atlantic: An economic perspective, IZA Discussion Paper 3529. Retrieved from https://www.econstor.eu/dspace/bitstream/10419/34980/1/572105703.pdf

Brunello, G., & Labartino, G. (2014). Regional differences in overweight rates: The case of Italian regions. Economics and Human Biology, 12 , 20-29. doi:10.1016/j.ehb.2012.10.001.

Castillo, M., Ferraro, P.J., Jordan, J. K., & Petrie, R. (2011). The today and tomorrow of kids: Time preference and educational outcomes of children. Journal of Public Economics, 95(11), 1377 – 1385.

Cawley, J. (2000). Body weight and women’s labor market outcomes. NBER Working Paper No. 7841. Retrieved from http://www.nber.org/papers/w7841.pdf

Cawley, J. (2004).The impact of obesity on wages. Journal of Human Resources, 39(2), 451- 474.

Cawley, J., Grabka, M., & Lillard, D. (2005).A comparison of the relationship between obesity and earnings in the U.S. and Germany. Schmollers Jahrbuch,125(1), 119 -129.

Cawley, J., & Spiess, C. K. (2008).Obesity and skill attainment in early childhood. Economics and Human Biology, 6(3), 388 – 397. doi:10.1016/j.ehb.2008.06.003.

Conley, D., & Grauber, R. (2007).Gender, body mass, and socioeconomic status. In J. Cawley, & K. Bolin, (Eds.), The Economics of Obesity (pp. 255-278). Amsterdam, Elsevier JAI.

Convert B. (2005). Europe and the crisis in scientific vocations. European Journal of Education, 40(4), 361 366.

Crosnoe, R., & Muller, C. (2004).Body mass index, academic achievement, and school context: Examining the educational experiences of adolescents at risk of obesity. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 45(4),393–407.

Crosnoe, R. (2007).Gender, obesity, and education. Sociology of Education, 80(3), 241 -260.

Danubio, M.E., Miranda, G., Vinciguerra, M.G., Vecchi, E., & Rufo, F. (2008).Comparison of self-reported and measured height and weight: Implications for obesity research among young adults. Economics and Human Biology, 6(1), 181 – 190. doi:10.1016/j.ehb.2007.04.002.

Datar, A., Sturm, R., & Magnabosco, J. L. (2004). Childhood overweight and academic performance: National study of kindergartners and first- graders. Obesity Research, 12(1), 58–68. doi:10.1038/oby.2004.9.

Devaux, M. & Sassi, F.(2011) The social inequalities in obesity and overweight in 11 OECD countries, European Journal of Public Health Advance, 1-5.

Dodd, M.C. (2014). Intertemporal discounting as a risk factor for high BMI: Evidence from Australia,2008.Economics and Human Biology, 12, 83–97.doi:10.1016/j.ehb.2013.05.005.

Duncan, G. J., Dowsett, C. J., Claessens, A., Magnuson, K., Huston, A. C., Klebanov, P., Pagani, L. S., Feinstein, L., Engel, M., Brooks-Gunn, J., Sexton, H., Duckworth, K., & Japel, C. (2007).School readiness and later achievement. Developmental psychology, 43(6), 1428 – 1446. doi:10.1037/0012-1649.43.6.1428.

Eide E.R. & Showalter M.H. (2011). Estimating the relation between health and education: What do we know and what do we need to know? Economics of Education Review, 30, 778-791.

Fersterer, J., & Winter-Ebmer, R. (2003).Smoking, discount rates, and returns to education. Economics of Education Review, 22(6), 561- 566.

Fuchs, V. (1982).Time preference and health: An exploratory study. In V.Fuchs (ed.) Economic Aspects of Health (pp. 93–120), Chicago, University of Chicago Press.

Fuchs, V. R. (2004).Reflections on the socio-economic correlates of health. Journal of Health Economics, 23(4), 653 – 661. doi:10.1016/j.jhealeco.2004.04.004.

Garcia, J., & Quintana-Domeque, C. (2007).Obesity, employment and wages in Europe. Advances in Health Economics and Health Services Research, 17, 187–217.

Grossman, M. (2000).The human capital model. In A. J. Culyer, J. P. Newhouse (eds.),Handbook of Health Economics, vol. 1 (pp. 347–408).Amsterdam, Elsevier Science BV.

Hanushek, E.A. (1986).The economics of schooling: Production and efficiency in public school.Journal of Economic Literature, 24, 1141 – 1177.

Harper, B. (2000).Beauty, stature and the labour market: A British cohort study. Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, 62(s1), 771 – 800. doi:10.1111/14680084.0620s1771.

Himes, J.H., & Faricy, A. (2001).Validity and reliability of self-reported stature and weight of US adolescents. American Journal of Human Biology: the Official Journal of the Human Biology Council, 13(2), 255 – 260.doi:10.1002/1520-6300(200102/03).13:2<255:AID-AJHB1036>3.0.CO;2-E.

Kaestner, R., & Grossman, M. (2008). Effects of weight on children’s educational achievement, NBER Working Paper No. 13764. Retrieved from http://www.nber.org/papers/w13764.pdf

Kaestner, R., & Grossman, M. (2009). Effects of weight on children’s educational achievement. Economics of Education Review, 28(6), 651 -661.

Kaestner, R., & Grossman, M., & Yarnoff (2009). Effects of weight on adolescent educational attainment. NBER Working Paper No. 14994. Retrieved from http://www.nber.org/papers/w14994.pdf

Kaestner, R. , Grossman, M., & Yarnoff, B. (2011). Effect of weight on adolescent educational attainment. In M. Grossman,& N.H. Mocan (eds.),Economic Aspects of Obesity. Chicago, University of Chicago Press.

Komlos, J. , Smith, P. K., & Bogin, B. (2004). Obesity and the rate of time preference: Is there a connection?. Journal of Biosocial Science, 36(2), 209 – 219.

Krul, A.J., Daanen, H. A. M., & Choi, H. (2011). Self-reported and measured weight, height and body mass index (BMI) in Italy, the Netherlands and North America. European Journal of Public Health, 21(4), 414 -419. doi:10.1093/eurpub/ckp228.

Lu, Y.-L., Chou, S.J..-H., & Lin, E.S. (2014). Gender differences in the impact of weight status on academic performance: Evidence from adolescents in Taiwan. Children and Youth Services Review, 46, 300–314.

Machin S. & Puhani P. (2003). Subject of degree and the gender wage differential: Evidence from the UK and Germany. Economics Letters, 79 (3), 393-400.

Maestri, V. (2013). Promoting scientific faculties: Does it work? Evidence from Italy. Economics of Education Review, 32, (c)168-180.

Mocan, N., & Tekin, E. (2011).Obesity, self-esteem, and wages. In M. Grossman, & N.Mocan (eds.),Economic Aspects of Obesity. Chicago, University of Chicago Press.

Morris, S. (2006).Body mass index and occupational attainment. Journal of Health Economics, 25(2), 347 – 364. doi:10.1016/j.jhealeco.2005.09.005.

OECD.(2006). Women and men in OECD Countries.

OECD. (2012a).Obesity and the economics of prevention: Fit not fat, key facts, Italy. Retrieved from http://www.oecd.org/italy/obesity and the economics ofpreventionfitnotfat-italykeyfacts.htm.


OECD. (2012b). University graduates by field of study, OECD Database;

Okunade, A., Hussey, A., & Karakus, C. (2009).Overweight adolescent and on-time high school graduation: Racial and gender disparities. Atlantic Economic Journal, 37(3), 225 -242. doi:10.1007/s11293-009-9181-y.

Pagan, J.A., & Davila, A. (1997).Obesity, occupational attainment, and earnings. Social Science Quarterly, 78(3), 756 – 770.

Puhl, R. M. (2011).Bias, stigma, and discrimination. In J. H.Cawley (ed.),The Oxford Handbook of the Social Science of Obesity, New York, Oxford University Press.

Rashad, I. (2006).Structural estimation of caloric intake, exercise, smoking and obesity. The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, 46(2), 268 – 283. doi:10.1016/j.qref.2005.11.002.

Register, C.A., & Williams, D. R. (1990).Wage effects of obesity among young workers. Social Science Quarterly, 71(1), 130 -141.

Sabia J. (2007). The effect of body weight on adolescent academic achievement. Southern Economic Journal, 73 (4), 871 – 900.

Sabia, J. & Rees R (2015). Body weight, mental health, and academic achievement, Review of economic of the household, vol. 13(3), 653 -684.

Sagna M. L., Schopflocher D., Raine K., Nykiforuk C. &. Plotnikoff R.(2013). Adjusting divergences between self- reported and measured height and weight in an adult Canadian population. American Journal of Health Behavior, 37(6), 841-850.

Sargent J.D. & Blanchflower D.G. (1994) . Obesity ad stature in adolescence and earnings in young adulthood: analysis of a British birth cohort. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 48(7), 68-87.

Schneeweis N. & Zweimuler M. (2012) . Girls, girls, girls: Gender composition and female school choice. Economics of Education Review, 31, 482 – 500.

Smith P. K, Bogin B. & Bishai D. (2005). Are time preference and body mass index associated? Evidence from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. Economics and Human Biology, 3, 259 – 270.

Sutin A.R., Ferrucci L., Zonderman A.B. & Terracciano A. (2011). Personality and obesity across the adult life span. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 101(3), 579 – 592.

Taras H. & Potts-Datema W. (2005). Obesity and student performance at school. Journal of School Health, 75(8), 291- 295.

Truong K. & Sturm R. (2011) . Schooling and human capital. In Cawley (ed.) - The Oxford Handbook of the Social Science of Obesity. Oxford University Press.

Von Hippel, P. T., & Lynch, J. L. (2014). Why are educated adults slim – Causation or selection?. Social Science & Medicine, 105, 131 – 139. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2014.01.004.

Webbink D. & Ooosterbeek H. (1997). Is there a hidden technical potential? De Economist 145 (2), 159-177.

Wendt M. & Kinsey J.(2009) . Childhood overweight and school outcomes. Paper presented at the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association Annual Meeeting, Milwaukee.

Zhang L. & Rashad I. (2008) . Obesity and time preference: the health consequences of discounting the future. Journal of Biosocial Science, 40, 97 – 113.