The Oxford Handbook of Economics and Human Biology

The Oxford Handbook of Economics and Human Biology provides an extensive and insightful overview of how economic conditions affect human well being and how human health influences economic outcomes. Among the topics explored are how variations in height, whether over time, among different socio economic groups, and in different locations, are important indicators of changes in economic growth and economic development, levels of economic inequality, and economic opportunities for individuals. The book covers a broad geographic range: Africa, Latin and North America, Asia, and Europe. Its temporal scope ranges from the late Iron Age to the present. Taking advantage of recent improvements in data and economic methods, the book also explores how humans' biological conditions influence and are influenced by their economic circumstances, including poverty. Among the issues addressed are how height, body mass index (BMI) and obesity can affect and are affected by productivity, wages, and wealth. How family environment affects health and well being is examined, as is the importance of both pre birth and early childhood conditions for subsequent economic outcomes. Reflecting this dynamic and expanding area of research, the volume shows that well being is a salient aspect of economics, and the new toolkit of evidence from biological living standards enhances understanding of industrialization, commercialization, income distribution, the organization of health care, social status, and the redistributive state affect such human attributes as physical stature, weight, and the obesity epidemic in historical and contemporary populations.  Contributors to this volume Brian A'Hearn is a Fellow and Tutor in Economics, Pembroke College, University of Oxford Jason A. Aimone is an assistant professor of economics at the Hankamer School of Business, Baylor University Harold Alderman is Social Protection Advisor, Africa Region at the World Bank. Susan L. Averett is the Charles A. Dana Professor of Economics in the Department of Economics at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. Jorg Baten is a professor of economic history in the Department of Economics and Social Sciences, University of Tuebingen, coeditor of Economics and Human Biology Jere R. Behrman is the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Economics at the University of Pennsylvania. Prashant Bharadwaj is an associate professor of economics at the University of California, San Diego. Matthias Blum is a lecturer in economics at Queen's University Belfast Management School. Leah Platt Boustan is an assistant professor of Economics at UCLA and a faculty research fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) Baltica Cabieses is a senior lecturer in the Faculty of Medicine, Universidad del Desarrollo Clinica Alemana, Chile Scott A. Carson is a professor of economics in the College of Business and Engineering, University of Texas, Permian Basin Gregory Colman is an associate professor in the Department of Economics, Pace University and a Research Economist of the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) Dalton Conley is Dean of Social Sciences and University Professor of the Social Sciences at New York University Lee Craig is Department Head, Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Professor in the Department of Economics, North Carolina State University. Dhaval Dave is the Stanton Research Professor in the Department of Economics, Bentley University and a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) Elizabeth Frankenberg is a professor in the Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University Ricardo Godoy is a Professor of International Development, Brandeis University Jane Greve is a senior researcher at KORA, the Danish Institute for Local and Regional Governmental Research Kalle Hirvonen is an Associate Research Fellow at the International Food Policy Institute Jessica Ho is a Research Scientist in the Sanford School of Public Policy and the Population Research Institute (DuPRI) at Duke University Daniel Houser is Chairman and Professor in the Department of Economics and Director of the Interdisciplinary Center for Economic Science at George Mason University. Olaf Hubler is professor emeritus of econometrics at the Institute for Empirical Economics at the Leibniz University of Hannover Inas R. Kelly is an associate professor of economics at Queens College of the City University of New York, a Research Associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) and Co Editor of Economics and Human Biology John Komlos, Professor Emeritus, University of Munich Katrin Kromeyer Hauschild is the head of the Anthropology Working Group at the Institute of Human Genetics at the University Hospital of the Friedrich Schiller University Jena Darius N. Lakdawalla is associate professor in the University of Southern California School of Policy, Planning, and Development, and Director of Research at the USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics. Steven Lehrer is an Associate Professor of Economics at NYU Shanghai and Associate Professor, School of Policy Studies and Department of Economics, Queen's University (Canada) Moramay Lopez Alonso is an associate professor of history, Rice University Robert A. Margo is a professor of economics in the Department of Economics, Boston University, and a Research Associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) Eberhard Karls University of Tubingen Chad D. Meyerhoefer is an associate professor of economics, Lehigh University and a research associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) Alexander Moradi is a senior lecturer in economics at the University of Sussex. Anja Moss is research associate and study coordinator in the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes, Interdisciplinary Obesity Unit at the Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at the Ulm University. Avner Offer is Chichele Professor of Economic History, University of Oxford, and Fellow of All Souls College, Emeritus Deborah Oxley is Professor of Social Science History and Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford University and a Leverhulme Major Research Fellow Kate Pickett is professor of epidemiology, Department of Health Sciences, University of York, England Julian Reif is an Assistant Professor of Finance and Economics in the College of Business and the Institute of Government and Public Affairs (IGPA) at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. Lorenzo Rocco is Associate Professor of Economics in the Department of Economics and Management at the University of Padova (Italy) Alan D. Rogol is Professor Emeritus (Pediatrics and Pharmacology) at the University of Virginia Asher Rosinger, University of Georgia David E. Sahn is the International Professor of Economics, and Director, Cornell University Food and Nutrition Policy Program (CFNPP) Division of Nutritional Sciences and Department of Economics, Cornell University and an IZA Research Fellow Daniel Jong Schwekendiek is an Associate Professor of East Asian Studies, Sungkyunkwan University Karri Silventoinen, Senior lecturer in demography, Department of Social Research, University of Helsinki Richard H. Steckel is SBS Distinguished Professor of Economics, Anthropology, and History at the Ohio State University and a Research Associate, National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) Dejun Su is an Associate Professor I the Department of Health Promotion, Social and Behavioral Health and Director, Center for Reducing Health Disparities College of Public Health University of Nebraska Medical Center Duncan Thomas is the Norb F. Schaefer Professor of International Studies and Professor of Economics, Global Health and Public Policy in the Department of Economics, Duke University and Development Program Director at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) Florencia Torche is a Professor of Sociology, NYU Tom S. Vogl is Assistant Professor of Economics and International Affairs, Princeton University and a Faculty Research Fellow, National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) and a Faculty Affiliate, Bureau for the Economic Analysis of Development (BREAD) Martin Wabitsch is the head of the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes, Interdisciplinary Obesity Unit at the Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at the Ulm University. Yang Wang is an assistant professor of economics, Lafayette College W. Peter Ward, Professor of History Emeritus University of British Columbia George Wehby is an Associate Professor at the University of Iowa College of Public Health and is a Research Associate, National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) Richard G. Wilkinson is Emeritus Professor of Social Epidemiology, Division of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Nottingham, England Sven E. Wilson is a professor of political science and an adjunct professor, Department of Economics, Brigham Young University and Research Economist, National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) Muzhe Yang is an associate professor, Department of Economics, Lehigh University Jay L. Zagorsky is an economist and Research Scientist at The Ohio State University.