ERIC Number: ED676560
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Oct
Pages: N/A
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: 0000-00-00
The Impact of a Genetic Predisposition to a Higher BMI on Education Outcomes. Working Paper 34322
Jane Greve; Mette T. Jensen; Esben Agerbo; John Cawley
National Bureau of Economic Research
This paper contributes to the literature on the impact of early-life health on education by estimating the effect of genetic predisposition to a higher body mass index (BMI) on educational attainment and related outcomes. The identification strategy exploits the randomness in which genes one inherits from one's parents by estimating sibling fixed effects models of the polygenic score for a higher BMI. These models are estimated using rich administrative data from Denmark for over 14,000 full siblings. We find that a one-standard-deviation increase in the genetic predisposition to a higher BMI is associated with a 1.4 percentage point (4.4%) lower probability of earning a high school diploma, a 1.7 percentage point (12.3%) lower probability of a college degree, and a 1.7 percentage point (3.7%) higher probability of vocational training. An investigation into mechanisms suggests that youth with a greater genetic predisposition to a higher BMI are more likely to report being bullied, have greater school absences, and lower test scores.
Descriptors: Heredity, Genetics, Body Composition, Body Weight, Body Height, Educational Attainment, Probability, At Risk Students, Bullying, Attendance, Tests, Scores, Siblings, Foreign Countries
National Bureau of Economic Research. 1050 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138-5398. Tel: 617-588-0343; Web site: http://www.nber.org
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)
Identifiers - Location: Denmark
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A

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