Long-term effects of pediatric nutrition: evidence from school lunch reform 

Review of Economic Studies, rdab028, https: //doi.org/10.1093/restud/rdab028

Commentary

This study examined the long-term impacts of policy-driven changes in child nutrition.

For this study, we provided and evaluated a program that rolled out free nutritious school meals to all students in Swedish elementary school from 1959-1969.

We estimated the impact of this program on children's economic, educational, and health outcomes. Results showed that the school lunch program produced substantial long-term benefits, with a 3 percent higher lifetime income for students exposed to the program during their entire elementary school years. This effect was larger for students exposed at an earlier age and for students from poorer families, suggesting that the program reduced socioeconomic inequality in adulthood.

The study also showed that exposure to the program had substantial effects on academic achievement and health.