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- Title
Do peers affect childhood obesity outcomes? Peer‐effect analysis in public schools.
- Authors
Asirvatham, Jebaraj; Thomsen, Michael R.; Nayga Jr, Rodolfo M.; Rouse, Heather L.
- Abstract
Abstract: This study investigates whether obese peers are a contributing factor in childhood body‐weight outcomes. Using an instrumental variables method on exogenously assigned peers (i.e., new peers), we find that the weight of peers within the same grade and school significantly impacts body mass index (BMI) z‐score of an individual student. The size of the peer effect, however, is negligible. We find no evidence of interaction between newly assigned peer groups prior to assignment. Furthermore, the obese peers variable is significant only for those peers with whom a student interacts.
- Subjects
CHILDHOOD obesity; PEERS; PUBLIC schools; BODY weight; BODY mass index; SCHOOL children
- Publication
Canadian Journal of Economics, 2018, Vol 51, Issue 1, p216
- ISSN
0008-4085
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/caje.12321