Human Capital Development and Parental Investment in India

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Attanasio, Orazio; Meghir, Costas; Nix, Emily
• 署名单位: Yale University; National Bureau of Economic Research; National Bureau of Economic Research; Yale University; Center for Economic & Policy Research (CEPR); University of Southern California
• 刊物名称: REVIEW OF ECONOMIC STUDIES
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0034-6527
• DOI: 10.1093/restud/rdaa026
• 发表日期: 2020
• 页码: 2511-2541
• 关键词: 1st 5 years; child-development; socioeconomic-status; nutritional supplementation; psychosocial stimulation; developing-countries; low-income; HEALTH; TECHNOLOGY; education

摘要

We estimate production functions for cognition and health for children aged 1-12 in India, based on the Young Lives Survey. India has over 70 million children aged 0-5 who are at risk of developmental deficits. The inputs into the production functions include parental background, prior child cognition and health, and child investments, which are taken as endogenous. Estimation is based on a nonlinear factor model, based on multiple measurements for both inputs and child outcomes. Our results show an important effect of early health on child cognitive development, which then becomes persistent. Parental investments affect cognitive development at all ages, but more so for younger children. Investments also have an impact on health at early ages only.