Sample-Selection Bias and Height Trends in the Nineteenth-Century United States

34 Pages Posted: 16 Jul 2018 Last revised: 22 Apr 2023

Date Written: July 2018

Abstract

After adjusting for sample-selection bias, I find a net decline in average stature of 0.64 inches in the birth cohorts of 1832--1860 in the US. This result supports the veracity of the Antebellum Puzzle—a deterioration of health during early modern economic growth in the US. However, this adjustment alters the trend in average stature, validating concerns over bias in the historical heights literature. The adjustment is based on census-linked military height data and uses a two-step semi-parametric sample-selection model to adjust for selection on observables and unobservables.

Suggested Citation

Zimran, Ariell, Sample-Selection Bias and Height Trends in the Nineteenth-Century United States (July 2018). NBER Working Paper No. w24815, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3214361

Ariell Zimran (Contact Author)

Vanderbilt University ( email )

2301 Vanderbilt Place
Nashville, TN 37240
United States

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