Working Paper: NBER ID: w8843
Authors: Dora L. Costa
Abstract: This paper documents differences in body size between white, black, and Indian mid-nineteenth century American men and investigates the socioeconomic and demographic determinants of frame size using a unique data set of Civil War soldiers. It finds that over time men have grown taller and heavier and have relatively less abdominal fat. Abdominal fat in young adulthood was an excellent predictor of older age mortality from ischemic heart disease or stroke. Changes in frame size explain roughly three-fifths of the mortality decline among white men between 1915 and 1988 and predict even sharper declines in older age mortality between 1988 and 2022.
Keywords: body size; mortality; socioeconomic determinants; civil war soldiers
JEL Codes: J11; I12; N31
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Frame size (Y60) | older age mortality from ischemic heart disease and stroke (I12) |
| Socioeconomic factors and environmental conditions during growth (Q56) | body size (L25) |
| body size (L25) | older age mortality risk (J26) |
| Abdominal fat in young adulthood (J13) | older age mortality from ischemic heart disease or stroke (I12) |
| Changes in frame size (L25) | decline in mortality among white men from 1915 to 1988 (I12) |