Taller people lead happier lives, a recent study led by Princeton professor Angus Deaton found. The research showed that taller men and women report a higher level of enjoyment and were less likely than their shorter peers to say they were sad.

Deaton called the study ‘a minor frill’ on research done by Wilson School of International Affairs dean Christina Paxson and economics and public affairs professor Anne Case, who ‘found that taller people on average do better in income and education than shorter people.’

‘Education and income are positively associated with good emotional outcomes and life evaluation, so that is why height makes life better,’ Deaton said.

In fact, the study found that after education and income are accounted for, height has an independent effect on an individual. Deaton called the research ‘a backward-looking study, confirming a prediction of earlier work, not a forward-looking one.’

The study used data from Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index daily polling, which interviewed 454,065 adults from January 2008 to April 2009. The poll asked respondents for their height and then had them gauge their lives. The poll also asked respondents to answer yes or no questions about feelings of ‘enjoyment, physical pain, happiness, worry, sadness, stress, and anger’ from the day before they took the questionnaire.’