Working Paper: NBER ID: w28214
Authors: Evelina Bjrkegren; Mikael Lindahl; Mrten Palme; Emilia Simeonova
Abstract: We use data from a large sample of adoptees born in Sweden to study to what extent the well-established association between parental educational attainments and adult health of the child generation can be attributed to pre- or post-birth factors, respectively. We find a significant association between the educational attainment of the adopting parents and child health outcomes as adults. These results suggest that growing up in a better-educated household has long-term effects on health outcomes. Our analysis of the mechanisms behind the results suggests that formation of human capital, and in particular cognitive and non-cognitive skills, may be important.
Keywords: Parental Education; Child Health; Adoption; Causation; Human Capital
JEL Codes: I10; I12; I14; I26
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Parental education (I24) | Child health (I19) |
| Pre-birth factors (J13) | Parental education gradient in health outcomes (I24) |
| Post-birth factors (J13) | Parental education gradient in health outcomes (I24) |
| Cognitive and noncognitive skills (J24) | Child health (I19) |
| Educational attainment of child (I21) | Child health (I19) |
| Health-related behaviors (I12) | Child health (I19) |