The structural relationship between early nutrition, cognitive skills and non-cognitive skills in four developing countries

Journal article

This study provides evidence about how cognitive and non-cognitive skills are acquired during childhood in four developing countries (Ethiopia, India, Peru and Vietnam), highlighting the role of early nutrition as a determinant in this process. An increase of one standard deviation in height-for-age at the age of 1 is found to have a total effect on cognitive skills at age 8 by 5.4 percent in Ethiopia, 9.0 percent in India, 7.6 percent in Peru and 8.4 percent in Vietnam. The corresponding total effect on non-cognitive skills is 1.1 percent in Ethiopia, 3.4 percent in India, 2.6 percent in Peru and 1.7 percent in Vietnam. The evidence suggests the effect of early nutrition on non-cognitive skills is indirect, mediated by cognitive skills. The effect is also relatively small in magnitude.

Authors: Sánchez, A

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Journal: Economics and Human Biology
• Volume: 27
• Pages: 33–54
• Publication date: 2017-04-17
• Acceptance date: 2017-04-07
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2017.04.001
• EISSN: 1873-6130
• ISSN: 1570-677X
• Keywords: early childhood development; children; nutrition; skills