Cited by 213Early Childhood Education and DevelopmentHealth disparities and outcomesBirth, Development, and Health

The Effects of Two Influential Early Childhood Interventions on Health and Healthy Behaviour

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Conti, Gabriella, Heckman, James J., Pinto, Rodrigo·2016·The Economic Journal

Abstract

This paper examines the long-term impacts on health and healthy behaviors of two of the oldest and most widely cited U.S. early childhood interventions evaluated by the method of randomization with long-term follow-up: the Perry Preschool Project (PPP) and the Carolina Abecedarian Project (ABC). There are pronounced gender effects strongly favoring boys, although there are also effects for girls. Dynamic mediation analyses show a significant role played by improved childhood traits, above and beyond the effects of experimentally enhanced adult socioeconomic status. These results show the potential of early life interventions for promoting health.

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Authors
Conti, G., Heckman, J. J., & Pinto, R.
Affiliations
  • University College London (GB)
  • University of Chicago (US)
  • University of California, Los Angeles (US)
Venue
The Economic Journal
Published
2016-10-01
Volume
126
Issue
596
Pages
F28-F65
ISSN
  • 0013-0133 (ISSN-L)
  • 1468-0297
OpenAlex
W2136126831
Cited by
213
References
13
Citations by year
2026: 11 · 2025: 29 · 2024: 20 · 2023: 23 · 2022: 37 · 2021: 29 · 2020: 24 · 2019: 17 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 1
FWCI
57.70
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • The Economic Journal (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
  • eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Pritzker Children’s Initiative
  • Buffett Early Childhood Fund
  • National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD R37HD065072, R01HD054702)
  • National Institute on Aging (NIA)
  • Institute for New Economic Thinking
  • American Bar Foundation
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Education › Early Childhood Education and Development
  • Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Birth, Development, and Health
Keywords
early childhood intervention, Perry Preschool Project, Abecedarian Project, long-term effects, health outcomes, health behavior, gender differences, mediation analysis, adult socioeconomic status, early childhood education

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