Francesco Burchi
Whose education affects a child’s nutritional status? From parents' to household's education
Roma Tre University
backgroundthe paper engages ongoing debate regarding determinants child nutrition developing countries stresses potential contribution education household members childs parents objectivethe aim paper threefold 1 verify whether evidence key role parents education childrens nutrition 2 explore possible presence externalities generated literacy household members different childs parents 3 test whether difference influence variables two indicators child nutrition child heightforage weightforage methodsthe determinants child nutrition analyzed estimating series econometric models ols regressions applied data 2003 dhs survey mozambiqueby means seemingly unrelated regression together formal testing compared impact covariates two outcomes resultsin line previous studies find one year mothers education increases childrens heightforage weightforage zscores nearly 0025 0015the presence another literate household member significant though limited effect child height influence child weightlastly statistically significant difference effect parents education two indicators measure proximate literacy significantly larger impact child height conclusionsthese findings orient policymakers toward incomeaugmenting educationenhancing policies importance nonparents literacy opens space investment education