Month of Birth, Environmental Exposures and Adult Health in Six Developing Countries

Jessica Y. Ho, University of Pennsylvania

Previous studies have used season of birth as a proxy for early life conditions to examine their association with adult health outcomes. However, few direct tests of the importance of environmental conditions in early life have been performed. Climate conditions influence infectious disease exposure and nutrition, and they are particularly important in developing countries lacking widespread access to refrigeration, clean water, and sanitation. This paper examines the association between environmental exposures experienced in early life and adult health in six developing and newly industrialized countries: India, China, Ghana, Mexico, Russia, and South Africa. Measures of adult health status include biomarker levels, chronic conditions, and functional limitations. I also explore the mediating effects of socioeconomic variables, including individuals’ own education and parental education. These analyses contribute to further theoretical refinements and shed light on the health of aging populations in developing countries.