DETERMINANTS OF OUTCOMES OF PREGNANCY

本项目的目的是更新和扩展过去对婴儿的研究 卫生生产函数模拟堕胎变化的影响 规定堕胎的作用令人感兴趣，因为最近最高法院 法院判决（韦伯斯特诉生殖健康服务）和潜在的 未来的决定给予州政府更多的自由裁量权， 规范一个州内堕胎服务的提供。妇女 居住在堕胎服务受到州政府限制的州 立法可以放弃堕胎或前往其他州， 获得法律的堕胎。增加的旅行费用可能会减少 使用堕胎服务。 过去的许多研究发现， 美国的堕胎服务与改善婴儿健康有关。 然而，至少有一项研究[Frank et al. 1989]得出结论， 可获得性并不能改善婴儿的健康。我们的婴儿健康产品 功能模型将寻求澄清堕胎的影响， 完全模拟其在婴儿健康结果中的作用。一个多重方程 计量经济学模型是用来估计模型使用国家一级的数据， 1979年至1986年。 我们还估计了国家对堕胎采取行动的可能性。 这些估计用于绘制每个州的旅行可能变化 孕妇获得堕胎服务的费用。根据过去的估计， 堕胎需求对旅行费用的反应， 对国家行动导致的堕胎服务使用情况进行了估计。的 估计的堕胎使用的变化可以用来模拟 国家堕胎条例对婴儿健康的潜在影响。这 信息可以为堕胎政策制定过程提供相关信息， 关于以下方面的条例：1）堕胎条例的费用， 婴儿健康（如果有的话）; 2）确定最大的成本- 关于其他投入的有效国家行动， 堕胎条例对婴儿健康的任何不利影响。

The purpose of this project is to update and extend past studies of infant health production functions to simulate the effects of changes in abortion regulations. The role of abortion is of interest given a recent Supreme Court decision (Webster v. Reproductive Health Services) and the potential for future decisions giving more discretion to state governments to regulate the availability of abortion services within a state. Women residing in states where abortion services have been curtailed by state legislation may either forgo an abortion or travel to other states to obtain a legal abortion. The increased travel cost is likely to reduce the use of abortion services. Many past studies have found that increased availability and use of abortion services in the U.S. is associated with improved infant health. However, at least one study [Frank et al. 1989] concludes that abortion availability does not improve infant health. Our infant health production function model will seek to clarify the effects of abortion by more completely modeling its role in infant health outcomes. A multi-equation econometric model is used to estimate the model using state-level data for the period 1979-86. We also develop estimates of the likelihood of state action on abortion. These estimates are used to map for each state the likely change in travel costs for pregnant women to obtain abortion services. With past estimates of the responsiveness of abortion demand to travel cost, the decline in the use of abortion services attributable to state action is estimated. The estimated change in the use of abortion can then be used to simulate the potential effects on infant health of state abortion regulation. This information can inform the abortion policy making process as it pertains to regulation regarding: 1) the costs of abortion regulation in terms of infant health (if any); and 2) the identification of the most cost-- effective state actions regarding other inputs that could be used to offset any adverse affects of abortion regulation on infant health.