We study the intergenerational transmission of health using registered data from China between 1789 and 1906. We first document the intergenerational correlations in lifespans, and we find much higher correlations for mothers, compared to fathers. We then compare children born from brother and twin fathers, and the intergenerational transmission from fathers becomes weaker and is likely to be mostly driven by genetic factors. On the contrary, our results suggest a strong role of women in affecting their children's health outcomes across generations in developing countries.
Keywords: Intergenerational correlations; Long-term health outcomes.
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