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Critical periods during childhood and adolescence

van den Berg, Gerard J. ; Lundborg, Petter LU ; Nystedt, Paul and Rooth, Dan-Olof (2014) In Journal of the European Economic Association 12(6). p.1521-1557
Abstract
We identify the ages that constitute sensitive (or critical) periods in children's development towards their adult health status, skills, and human capital. For this, we use data on families migrating into Sweden from countries that are poorer, with less healthy conditions. Late-life health is proxied by adult height and other adult outcomes. The relation between siblings' ages at migration and their adult outcomes allows us to estimate the causal effect of conditions at specific childhood ages. We effectively exploit that, for siblings, the migration occurs simultaneously in calendar time but at different developmental stages (ages). We find evidence that the period just before the puberty growth spurt constitutes a critical period for... (More)
We identify the ages that constitute sensitive (or critical) periods in children's development towards their adult health status, skills, and human capital. For this, we use data on families migrating into Sweden from countries that are poorer, with less healthy conditions. Late-life health is proxied by adult height and other adult outcomes. The relation between siblings' ages at migration and their adult outcomes allows us to estimate the causal effect of conditions at specific childhood ages. We effectively exploit that, for siblings, the migration occurs simultaneously in calendar time but at different developmental stages (ages). We find evidence that the period just before the puberty growth spurt constitutes a critical period for adult height and we find related critical periods for adult cognition, mental health, and education. (Less)
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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Journal of the European Economic Association
volume
12
issue
6
pages
1521 - 1557
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • wos:000345595500003
  • scopus:84911907084
ISSN
1542-4774
DOI
10.1111/jeea.12112
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
03281483-83a2-45f4-87ca-bae3121de139 (old id 4333634)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 12:56:13
date last changed
2022-04-21 18:38:48
@article{03281483-83a2-45f4-87ca-bae3121de139,
  abstract     = {{We identify the ages that constitute sensitive (or critical) periods in children's development towards their adult health status, skills, and human capital. For this, we use data on families migrating into Sweden from countries that are poorer, with less healthy conditions. Late-life health is proxied by adult height and other adult outcomes. The relation between siblings' ages at migration and their adult outcomes allows us to estimate the causal effect of conditions at specific childhood ages. We effectively exploit that, for siblings, the migration occurs simultaneously in calendar time but at different developmental stages (ages). We find evidence that the period just before the puberty growth spurt constitutes a critical period for adult height and we find related critical periods for adult cognition, mental health, and education.}},
  author       = {{van den Berg, Gerard J. and Lundborg, Petter and Nystedt, Paul and Rooth, Dan-Olof}},
  issn         = {{1542-4774}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{6}},
  pages        = {{1521--1557}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Journal of the European Economic Association}},
  title        = {{Critical periods during childhood and adolescence}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jeea.12112}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/jeea.12112}},
  volume       = {{12}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}