Persistence of Natural Disasters on Children's Health: Evidence from the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923

Abstract: This study uses a catastrophic earthquake in 1923 to analyse the long-term effects of a natural disaster on children's health. I find that fetal exposure to Japan's Great Kanto Earthquake had stunting effects on girls in the devastated area. Disaster relief spending helped remediate stunting among boys by late primary school age, whereas it did not ameliorate girls' stunting, suggesting a prenatal selection mechanism and compensating investment after birth. While the maternal mental stress via the fear of vibrations and anticipation of future aftershocks played a role in the adverse health effects, the maternal nutritional stress via physical disruption also enhanced those effects.