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  3. American Economic Review
  4. December 2002
  5. Economic Status and Health in Childhood: The Origins of the Gradient

Economic Status and Health in Childhood: The Origins of the Gradient

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Abstract

The well-known positive association between health and income in adulthood has antecedents in childhood. Not only is children's health positively related to household income, but the relationship between household income and children's health becomes more pronounced as children age. Part of the relationship can be explained by the arrival and impact of chronic conditions. Children from lowerincome households with chronic conditions have worse health than do those from higher-income households. The adverse health effects of lower income accumulate over children's lives. Part of the intergenerational transmission of socioeconomic status may work through the impact of parents' income on children's health.

Citation

Case, Anne, Darren Lubotsky, and Christina Paxson. 2002. "Economic Status and Health in Childhood: The Origins of the Gradient ." American Economic Review, 92 (5): 1308-1334. DOI: 10.1257/000282802762024520

JEL Classification

  • I12 Health Production
  • J13 Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
  • D31 Personal Income, Wealth, and Their Distributions