Does unemployment worsen babies' health? A tale of siblings, maternal behaviour, and selection
Does unemployment worsen babies' health? A tale of siblings, maternal behaviour, and selection
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DOI：
10.1016/j.jhealeco.2022.102601
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发表时间：
2022-03-04
影响因子：
3.5
通讯作者：
Nicodemo, Catia
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
De Cao, Elisabetta;McCormick, Barry;Nicodemo, Catia
我们研究了经济波动对子宫内出生结果的影响，方法是利用英格兰各地区失业率的地理差异，并通过比较同一母亲所生的兄弟姐妹。利用2003-2012年医院管理记录的丰富个人数据，发现婴儿健康具有很强的顺周期特征。这一总体结果掩盖了最富裕地区出生的婴儿在经济衰退期间健康状况得到改善，而平均至最低收入贫困地区出生的婴儿健康状况恶化之间的显著差异。发现产妇饮酒、吸烟、第一次产前保健评估延迟以及父母收入损失是导致结果的因素。而产妇危险行为的差异可以解释异质性效应。
We study in-utero exposure to economic fluctuations on birth outcomes by exploiting geographical variation in the unemployment rate across local areas in England, and by comparing siblings born to the same mother. Using rich individual data from hospital administrative records for 2003-2012, babies' health is found to be strongly pro-cyclical. This overall result masks marked differences between babies born in the most affluent areas whose health at birth improves in a recession, and babies born in the average-to-lowest income deprived areas whose health deteriorates. Maternal alcohol consumption, smoking, and delay in the first antenatal care assessment combined with parental income loss, are found to drive the results. While differences in maternal risky behaviours can explain the heterogenous effects.