Abstract
We analyze the proximate determinants of the biological standard of living from a global perspective, namely high-quality nutrition and the disease environment during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Until the mid-twentieth century, the local availability of cattle, meat, and milk per capita and the local disease environment mainly determined the stature of the population – and, by implication, how long they lived and how healthy they were. During the late twentieth century, the trade of agricultural products and health-promoting technologies increased in relative importance; hence, the local availabilities became less decisive in explaining height differences.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 144-165 |
Number of pages | 22 |
Journal | European Review of Economic History |
Volume | 18 |
Issue number | 2 |
Early online date | 27 Mar 2014 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2014 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Economics, Econometrics and Finance(all)