Height and well-being in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Many development economists have recently discussed the use of height as a measure of well-being, particularly when lacking information on indicators such as GDP per capita or morbidity and mortality data. It explains the different factors that could prevent an adult from reaching the height predetermined by their genetic code. These factors can be listed as follows: child health, environment, nutrition, inequality, income, morbidity and gender. The evolution of height for Sub-Saharan Africa is also addressed. The main purpose of this paper is to discuss in general terms what height data can tell us about well-being in Sub-Saharan Africa. Essentially, the project discusses what has been learned from height studies about the evolution of well-being in Sub-Saharan Africa. This project is structured as a literature review with the objective to present the research done to date on the relationship between height and well-being in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Date of Award	27 May 2021
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Namur Université Catholique de Louvain
Supervisor	Catherine Guirkinger (Supervisor) & Coline BROKA (Co-Supervisor)