Journal article
A Genetic Instrumental Variables Analysis of the Effects of Prenatal Smoking on Birth Weight: Evidence from Two Samples
Biodemography and social biology, Vol.57(1), pp.3-32
2011
DOI: 10.1080/19485565.2011.564468
PMCID: PMC3256988
PMID: 21845925
Abstract
There is a large literature showing the detrimental effects of prenatal smoking on birth and childhood health outcomes. It is somewhat unclear, though, whether these effects are causal or reflect other characteristics and choices by mothers who choose to smoke that may also affect child health outcomes or biased reporting of smoking. In this paper, we use genetic markers that predict smoking behaviors as instruments in order to address the endogeneity of smoking choices in the production of birth and childhood health outcomes. Our results indicate that prenatal smoking produces more dramatic declines in birth weight than estimates that ignore the endogeneity of prenatal smoking, which is consistent with previous studies with non-genetic instruments. We use data from two distinct samples from Norway and the US with different measured instruments and find nearly identical results. The study provides a novel application that can be extended to study several behavioral impacts on health, social and economic outcomes.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- A Genetic Instrumental Variables Analysis of the Effects of Prenatal Smoking on Birth Weight: Evidence from Two Samples
- Creators
- George Wehby - Assistant Professor of Health Economics, Dept. of Health Management and Policy, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, 200 Hawkins Drive, E205 GH, Iowa City, IA 52242 USA, Phone: 319-384-5133; Fax: 319-384-5125Jason M Fletcher - Assistant Professor of Public Health, Division of Health Policy and Administration Department of Epidemiology and Public Health Yale University, 60 College St, #303; New Haven, CT 06520Steven F Lehrer - Queen’s University, School of Policy Studies, Kingston, OntarioCanada, K7L 3N6Lina M Moreno - Assistant Professor, University of Iowa, N401 DSB, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USAJeffrey C Murray - University of Iowa, Dept of Pediatrics, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA, Phone 1 319 335 6897Allen Wilcox - National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USARolv T Lie - University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Biodemography and social biology, Vol.57(1), pp.3-32
- DOI
- 10.1080/19485565.2011.564468
- PMID
- 21845925
- PMCID
- PMC3256988
- NLM abbreviation
- Biodemography Soc Biol
- ISSN
- 1948-5565
- eISSN
- 1948-5573
- Grant note
- R01 DE020895-01 || DE / National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research : NIDCR R03 DE018394-02 || DE / National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research : NIDCR
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 2011
- Academic Unit
- Preventive and Community Dentistry; Orthodontics; Anatomy and Cell Biology; Health Management and Policy; Stead Family Department of Pediatrics; Epidemiology; Economics; Pediatric Dentistry; Craniofacial Anomalies Research Center; Public Policy Center (Archive); Dental Research
- Record Identifier
- 9984025672702771
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