The use of genetic markers as instrumental variables (IV) is receiving increasing attention from economists. This paper examines the conditions that need to be met for genetic variants to be used as instruments. We combine the IV literature with that from genetic epidemiology, with an application to child adiposity (fat mass, determined by a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan) and academic performance. OLS results indicate that leaner children perform slightly better in school tests compared to their more adipose counterparts, but the IV findings show no evidence that fat mass affects academic outcomes.
Authors
![Person graphic](/sites/default/files/styles/square_desktop/public/2022-06/IFS-person-graphic.png?itok=hWCtTSrz)
Research Fellow University of Bristol
Research Fellow University of Bristol
Stephanie is a Reader in Economics at the University of Bristol and an Endowed Professor of Health Economics at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
![Person graphic](/sites/default/files/styles/square_desktop/public/2022-06/IFS-person-graphic.png?itok=hWCtTSrz)
George Davey Smith
![Person graphic](/sites/default/files/styles/square_desktop/public/2022-06/IFS-person-graphic.png?itok=hWCtTSrz)
Debbie A. Lawlor
![Carol Propper](/sites/default/files/styles/square_desktop/public/2022-05/Carol_Propper.jpg?itok=_f6-kbM5)
Research Fellow Imperial College London
Carol is a Research Fellow at the IFS and a Professor of Economics in the Department of Management and Imperial College Business School, London.
Working Paper details
- DOI
- 10.1920/wp.cem.2010.0310
- Publisher
- Institute for Fiscal Studies
Suggested citation
Davey Smith, G et al. (2010). Genetic markers as instrumental variables: an application to child fat mass and academic achievement. London: Institute for Fiscal Studies. Available at: https://ifs.org.uk/publications/genetic-markers-instrumental-variables-application-child-fat-mass-and-academic (accessed: 30 June 2024).
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