1999/04/01 by Emmanuel Skoufias
Nursing · Social Sciences · #Child Nutrition and Water Access #Gender, Labor, and Family Dynamics #Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare
paper · doi:10.1080/00074919912331337507
crossref issued 1999/04/01 · crossref published 1999/04/01 · crossref published-print 1999/04/01 · openalex publication_date 1999/04/01 · crossref created 2007/06/25 · crossref deposited 2019/04/29 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29 · crossref indexed 2026/07/29
This study uses 1989 Susenas household data to examine the impact of parental education on pre-school children's nutritional status, as measured by weight-for-age Z-scores. Reduced form regressions are estimated separately for boys and girls in rural and urban areas; explanatory variables include mother's and household head's education; per capita household expenditure; and aspects of the household sanitary environment. The analysis controls for influence of unobserved heterogeneity at village level, e.g. differences in prices and medical service provision. The estimates show a significant effect of parental schooling on child health status, varying between urban and rural areas, and by child gender and age. Mothers with secondary education typically have healthier boys than those with less schooling, while this effect is seen for girls only if the mother has more than secondary education. Maternal schooling significantly affects 2–5 year olds' health, but has little direct effect on that of younger children.