Related papers: The long-run returns to breastfeeding
We present a mathematical simplification for the evolutionary dynamics of a heritable trait within a two-sex population. This trait is assumed to control the timing of sex-specific life-history events, such as the age of sexual maturity and…
As we gain access to a greater depth and range of health-related information about individuals, three questions arise: (1) Can we build better models to predict individual-level risk of ill health? (2) How much data do we need to…
Commonly recognized evolutionarily relevant effects of sexual reproduction include increased diversity, accelerated adaptation, and constrained accumulation of deleterious mutations, along with a secondary effect of species genotype…
Anthropometric measurements such as weight, stature (height), and body mass index (BMI) provide reliable indicators of children's growth. The 2000 CDC growth charts are the national standards in the United States for these important…
This research examines the simultaneous influences of height and weight on longitudinally measured systolic and diastolic blood pressure in children. Previous studies have shown that both height and weight are positively associated with…
Using an additional decade of CNLSY data, this study replicated and extended Deming's (2009) evaluation of Head Start's life-cycle skill formation impacts in three ways. Extending the measurement interval for Deming's adulthood outcomes, we…
This paper studies the effects of legislation mandating the provision of workplace breastfeeding amenities on the labor force participation of women in the United States. Using both the American Community Survey and the Panel Study of…
The establishment of the UK National Health Service (NHS) in July 1948 was one of the most consequential health policy interventions of the twentieth century, providing universal and free access to medical care and substantially expanding…
This study aims to investigate the factors influencing the Human Development Index (HDI). Five variables-GDP per capita, health expenditure, education expenditure, infant mortality rate (per 1,000 live births), and average years of…
This paper uses a large UK cohort to investigate the impact of early-life pollution exposure on individuals' human capital and health outcomes in older age. We compare individuals who were exposed to the London smog in December 1952 whilst…
This study explores the impact of gender differences in preferences and productivity in home production on the time allocation in married couples, particularly in relation to childcare responsibilities. Using aggregated data from Japan, we…
This paper investigates the effects of the staggered roll-out of a pollution reduction programme introduced in the UK in the 1950s. The policy allowed local authorities to introduce so-called Smoke Control Areas (SCAs) which banned smoke…
Overweight and obese individuals tend to have increased brain age, reflecting poorer brain health likely due to grey and white matter atrophy related to obesity. However, it is unclear if older brain age associated with obesity can be…
Education is a major source of inequality in income and health. Polygenic indices for educational attainment (EA-PGI) capture both direct and indirect genetic influences on education, but their effects on income and health remain unclear.…
Selective mortality and fertility issues are persistent challenges in estimating the fetal origin effect, with attempts to address these issues being notably scarce. Evidence further suggests that selective mortality is more pronounced in…
In unicellular organisms such as bacteria and in most viruses, mutations mainly occur during reproduction. Thus, genotypes with a high birth rate should have a higher mutation rate. However, standard models of asexual adaptation such as the…
Mathematicians have always been attracted to the field of genetics. I am especially interested in the mathematical aspects of research on homosexuality. Certain studies show that male homosexuality may have a genetic component that is…
Despite its historical and biological stability, the sex ratio at birth (SRB) has risen in parts of the world in the last several decades. The resultant demographic consequences, mostly on sex imbalance, are well documented, typically…
Physical growth traits can be naturally represented by continuous functions. In a large dataset of infancy growth patterns, we develop a practical approach to infer statistical associations between growth-trajectories and IQ performance in…
Evolution depends on the fitness of organisms, the expected rate of reproducing. Directly getting offspring is the most basic form of fitness, but fitness can also be increased indirectly by helping genetically related individuals (such as…