Long-Term Effects of Famine on Chronic Diseases: Evidence from China's Great Leap Forward Famine.
We evaluate the long-term effects of famine on chronic diseases using China's Great Leap Forward Famine as a natural experiment. Using a unique health survey, we explore the heterogeneity of famine intensity across regions and find strong evidence supporting both the adverse effect and the selection effect. The two offsetting effects co-exist and their magnitudes vary in different age cohorts at the onset of famine. The selection effect is dominant among the prenatal/infant famine-exposed cohort, while the adverse effect appears dominant among the childhood/puberty famine-exposed cohort. The net famine effects are more salient in rural residents and non-migrants subsamples. Gender differences are also found, and are sensitive to smoking and drinking behaviors. Our conclusion is robust to various specifications. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Canada.
Xue Feng
XF
Hu
National School of Development, Beijing University, China.
Gordon G
GG
Liu
Department of Economics, Ball State University, USA.
Maoyong
M
Fan
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000453:epidemiology; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D013217:Starvation / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013997:Time Factors
Great Leap Forward Famine; adverse effect; chronic disease; gender difference; selection effect