We study the effect of economic conditions early in life on the occurrence of type-2
diabetes in adulthood using contextual economic conditions and within-sibling pair
variation. We use data from Lifelines: a longitudinal cohort study and biobank
including 51,270 siblings born in the Netherlands from 1950 onward. Sibling fixedeffects account for selective fertility. To identify type-2 diabetes we use biomarkers
on the hemoglobin A1c concentration and fasting glucose in the blood. We find
that adverse economic conditions around birth increase the probability of type-2
diabetes later in life both in males and in females. Inference based on self-reported
diabetes leads to biased results, wrongly suggesting the absence of a relationship
between early-life conditions and type-2 diabetes later in life. The same applies to
inference that does not account for selective fertility.
Using Data on Biomarkers and Siblings to Study Early-Life Economic Determinants of Type-2 Diabetes
Year of publication
2025
Journal
Health economics
Author(s)
Alessie, R.J.M.
Angelini, V.
van den Berg, G.J.
Mierau, J.O.
Niccodemi, G.
Full publication
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