title: Early life height and weight production functions with endogenous energy and protein inputs.
abstract: We examine effects of protein and energy intakes on height and weight growth for children between 6 and 24 months old in Guatemala and the Philippines. Using instrumental variables to control for endogeneity and estimating multiple specifications, we find that protein intake plays an important and positive role in height and weight growth in the 6-24 month period. Energy from other macronutrients, however, does not have a robust relation with these two anthropometric measures. Our estimates indicate that in contexts with substantial child undernutrition, increases in protein-rich food intake in the first 24 months can have important growth effects, which previous studies indicate are related significantly to a range of outcomes over the life cycle.
authors.affiliation: Department of Economics, Universidad de Chile, Chile. Electronic address: epuentes@fen.uchile.cl.
authors.forename: Esteban
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Puentes
authors.affiliation: Department of Economics, University of Houston, United States.
authors.forename: Fan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Departments of Economics and Sociology and Population Studies Center, University of Pennsylvania, United States.
authors.forename: Jere R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Behrman
authors.affiliation: Department of Economics, Rice University, United States.
authors.forename: Flavio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cunha
authors.affiliation: Division of Nutritional Sciences and the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, Cornell University and International Food Policy Research Institute, United States.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hoddinott
authors.affiliation: Department of Economics, Middlebury College, United States.
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Maluccio
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina, United States.
authors.forename: Linda S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Adair
authors.affiliation: USC-Office of Population Studies Foundation, Inc and Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, University of San Carlos, Cebu, Philippines.
authors.forename: Judith B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Borja
authors.affiliation: Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, United States.
authors.forename: Reynaldo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Martorell
authors.affiliation: Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, United States.
authors.forename: Aryeh D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Stein
mesh_terms: D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology; D004044:Dietary Proteins; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D006166:Guatemala / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007228:Infant Nutrition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D010679:Philippines / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D004044:Dietary Proteins
keywords: Early childhood; Endogeneity of inputs; Growth; Nutrition; Proteins