Effect of Ecuador's cash transfer program (Bono de Desarrollo Humano) on child development in infants and toddlers: A randomized effectiveness trial
Effect of Ecuador's cash transfer program (Bono de Desarrollo Humano) on child development in infants and toddlers: A randomized effectiveness trial
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DOI：
10.1016/j.socscimed.2011.03.005
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发表时间：
2011-05-01
影响因子：
5.4
通讯作者：
Hidrobo, Melissa
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Fernald, Lia C. H.;Hidrobo, Melissa
我们研究了厄瓜多尔的人道援助计划（BDH）——一项采用随机设计的无条件现金转移支付计划——对幼童健康和发展结果的影响。被随机分配到治疗组的社区在2004年开始接受BDH，而被随机分配到对照组的社区在两年后开始接受福利。参加BDH的家庭每月获得现金津贴（15美元），相当于家庭收入增加约6-10%。本研究分析的参与者是来自厄瓜多尔农村和城市治疗社区（n = 797）和比较社区（n = 399）的12-35个月大的儿童。测量的主要结果是语言技能（MacArthur foundation Inventorio del Desarollo de Habilidades communicas - Breve）、身高与年龄比值z-score和血红蛋白浓度。结果表明，在农村地区，在幼儿时期随机接受BDH的孩子在说的单词数量和组合两个或更多单词的概率上的表现明显更好。城市地区儿童的语言发展没有显著影响，农村和城市地区儿童的年龄身高z分数和血红蛋白浓度没有影响。研究还探讨了与认知/语言刺激、健康行为和养育质量有关的有限数量的潜在途径。研究结果表明，与比较地区的儿童相比，治疗地区的农村儿童更有可能在过去六个月内接受维生素A或铁补充剂，并购买玩具。这项研究提供了无条件现金转移计划对农村地区幼儿语言发展的显著好处的证据。(C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd.版权所有。
We examined the effects of Ecuador's Bono de Desarrollo Humano (BDH) - an unconditional cash transfer program that was rolled-out using a randomized design - on health and development outcomes in very young children. Communities that were randomly assigned to the treatment group began receiving the BDH in 2004 and those randomly assigned to the comparison group began receiving benefits two years later. Families enrolled in the BDH received a monthly cash stipend ($15USD) representing an approximate 6-10% increase in household income. Participants analyzed in this study are children aged 12-35 months from treatment (n = 797) and comparison (n = 399) communities in rural and urban Ecuador. Main outcomes measured were language skills (the Fundacion MacArthur Inventorio del Desarollo de Habilidades Comunicativas - Breve), height-for-age z-score, and hemoglobin concentration. Results indicate that in rural areas, being randomized to receive the BDH in very early childhood led to significantly better performance on the number of words a child was saying, and on the probability that the child was combining two or more words. There were no significant effects on language development for children in urban areas and there were no effects on height-for-age z-score or hemoglobin concentration in rural or urban areas. A limited number of potential pathways with respect to cognitive/language stimulation, health behaviors, and parenting quality were also explored. Findings indicate that compared to children in comparison areas, rural children in treatment areas were more likely to have received vitamin A or iron supplementation and have been bought a toy in the past six months. This study provides evidence for significant benefits of an unconditional cash transfer program for language development in very young children in rural areas. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.