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Author: Malcolm, Michael
Resulting in 1 citation.
1. Malcolm, Michael
Kaya, Ilker
Selection Works Both Ways: BMI and Marital Formation Among Young Women
Review of Economics of the Household 14,2 (June 2016): 293-311.
Also: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11150-014-9247-8
Cohort(s): NLSY97
Publisher: Springer
Keyword(s): Age at First Marriage; Body Mass Index (BMI); Marital Status; Weight

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

The literature on entry into marriages has almost universally regarded a high body mass index (BMI) to be a disadvantage for women in the marriage market. But the theoretical effect of BMI on marital entry is actually uncertain because women who anticipate poor outcomes in the marriage market are more likely to accept early offers, while women with more desirable characteristics can afford to wait for a better match. Using data from the 1997 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, we show that female entry into marriage does decline as BMI rises, but that early marriage is nonlinear in BMI. Women with an extremely high BMI or with a BMI in the most attractive range are less likely to marry early.
Bibliography Citation
Malcolm, Michael and Ilker Kaya. "Selection Works Both Ways: BMI and Marital Formation Among Young Women." Review of Economics of the Household 14,2 (June 2016): 293-311.