The Effect of Neighborhood Fast Food on Children's BMI: Evidence from a Sample of Movers

Yiwei Qian; Michael R. Thomsen; Rodolfo M. Nayga; Heather L. Rouse

doi:10.1515/bejeap-2016-0251

The Effect of Neighborhood Fast Food on Children's BMI: Evidence from a Sample of Movers

Yiwei Qian
, Michael R. Thomsen^*
, Rodolfo M. Nayga
, Heather L. Rouse

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

12 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We use a statewide panel dataset and an instrumental variable strategy to identify the effect of neighborhood fast food on the BMI z-scores of Arkansas public schoolchildren. As in earlier studies, we use distance from the child's residence to the nearest major highway as an instrument for the density of fast-food restaurants. The sample is limited to children who moved at least once during the study period to ensure temporal variation in our instrument. Neighborhood fast food does have significant and positive effects on their BMI z-scores. The effect is disproportionately large for children who are rural, non-minority and female.

Original language	English
Article number	20160251
Journal	B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis and Policy
Volume	17
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1515/bejeap-2016-0251
Publication status	Published - 2017

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston 2017.

Keywords

BMI z-score
childhood obesity
fast food
instrumental variables

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Economics and Econometrics
Economics, Econometrics and Finance (miscellaneous)

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1515/bejeap-2016-0251

Cite this

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title = "The Effect of Neighborhood Fast Food on Children's BMI: Evidence from a Sample of Movers",

abstract = "We use a statewide panel dataset and an instrumental variable strategy to identify the effect of neighborhood fast food on the BMI z-scores of Arkansas public schoolchildren. As in earlier studies, we use distance from the child's residence to the nearest major highway as an instrument for the density of fast-food restaurants. The sample is limited to children who moved at least once during the study period to ensure temporal variation in our instrument. Neighborhood fast food does have significant and positive effects on their BMI z-scores. The effect is disproportionately large for children who are rural, non-minority and female.",

keywords = "BMI z-score, childhood obesity, fast food, instrumental variables",

author = "Yiwei Qian and Thomsen, \{Michael R.\} and Nayga, \{Rodolfo M.\} and Rouse, \{Heather L.\}",

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doi = "10.1515/bejeap-2016-0251",

language = "English",

volume = "17",

journal = "B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis and Policy",

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T1 - The Effect of Neighborhood Fast Food on Children's BMI

T2 - Evidence from a Sample of Movers

AU - Qian, Yiwei

AU - Thomsen, Michael R.

AU - Nayga, Rodolfo M.

AU - Rouse, Heather L.

PY - 2017

Y1 - 2017

N2 - We use a statewide panel dataset and an instrumental variable strategy to identify the effect of neighborhood fast food on the BMI z-scores of Arkansas public schoolchildren. As in earlier studies, we use distance from the child's residence to the nearest major highway as an instrument for the density of fast-food restaurants. The sample is limited to children who moved at least once during the study period to ensure temporal variation in our instrument. Neighborhood fast food does have significant and positive effects on their BMI z-scores. The effect is disproportionately large for children who are rural, non-minority and female.

AB - We use a statewide panel dataset and an instrumental variable strategy to identify the effect of neighborhood fast food on the BMI z-scores of Arkansas public schoolchildren. As in earlier studies, we use distance from the child's residence to the nearest major highway as an instrument for the density of fast-food restaurants. The sample is limited to children who moved at least once during the study period to ensure temporal variation in our instrument. Neighborhood fast food does have significant and positive effects on their BMI z-scores. The effect is disproportionately large for children who are rural, non-minority and female.

KW - BMI z-score

KW - childhood obesity

KW - fast food

KW - instrumental variables

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85034976290

U2 - 10.1515/bejeap-2016-0251

DO - 10.1515/bejeap-2016-0251

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85034976290

SN - 1935-1682

VL - 17

JO - B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis and Policy

JF - B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis and Policy

IS - 4

M1 - 20160251

ER -

The Effect of Neighborhood Fast Food on Children's BMI: Evidence from a Sample of Movers

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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