Inequality of Opportunity in Bodyweight Among Middle-Aged and Older Chinese: A Distributional Approach

39 Pages Posted: 7 Jul 2020

See all articles by Peng Nie

Peng Nie

Xi'an Jiaotong University

Lanlin Ding

Xi'an Jiaotong University (XJTU)

Andrew M. Jones

University of York - Department of Economics and Related Studies; Monash University - Centre for Health Economics

Abstract

Using the 2011 and 2015 waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) linked with the 2014 CHARLS Life History Survey, we provide a comprehensive analysis on inequality of opportunity (IOp) in both body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) among middle-aged and older Chinese. We find that IOp ranges from 65.5% to 74.6% for BMI (from 82.1% to 95.5% for WC). Decomposition results show that spatial circumstances such as urban/rural residence and province of residence are dominant. Health status and nutrition conditions in childhood are the second largest contributor. Distributional decompositions further reveal that inequality in bodyweight is not simply a matter of demographic (age and gender) inequalities; our set of spatial and health and nutrition conditions in childhood become much more relevant towards the right tails of the bodyweight distribution, where the clinical risk is focused.

JEL Classification: D63, I12, I14

Suggested Citation

Nie, Peng and Ding, Lanlin and Jones, Andrew M., Inequality of Opportunity in Bodyweight Among Middle-Aged and Older Chinese: A Distributional Approach. IZA Discussion Paper No. 13421, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3643185 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3643185

Peng Nie (Contact Author)

Xi'an Jiaotong University ( email )

No. 74 Yanta West Road
Xi'an, 710061
China

Lanlin Ding

Xi'an Jiaotong University (XJTU)

26 Xianning W Rd.
Xi'an Jiao Tong University
Xi'an, Shaanxi 710049
China

Andrew M. Jones

University of York - Department of Economics and Related Studies ( email )

Heslington
York, YO1 5DD
United Kingdom
+44-1904-43 3766 (Phone)

Monash University - Centre for Health Economics ( email )

Building 75, 15 Innovation Walk
Monash University
Clayton, Victoria 3800
Australia

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