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A causal analysis of mother’s education on birth inequalities

Author

Listed:
  • Bacci, Silvia
  • Bartolucci, Francesco
  • Pieroni, Luca
Abstract
We propose a causal analysis of the mother’s educational level on the health status of the newborn, in terms of gestational weeks and weight. The analysis is based on a finite mixture structural equation model, the parameters of which have a causal interpretation. The model is applied to a dataset of almost ten thausand deliveries collected in an Italian region. The analysis confirms that standard regression overestimates the impact of education on the child health. With respect to the current economic literature, our findings indicate that only high education has positive consequences on child health, implying that policy efforts in education should have benefits for welfare.

Suggested Citation

  • Bacci, Silvia & Bartolucci, Francesco & Pieroni, Luca, 2012. "A causal analysis of mother’s education on birth inequalities," MPRA Paper 38754, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:38754
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    File URL: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/38754/1/MPRA_paper_38754.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    Cited by:

    1. Salmasi, Luca & Pieroni, Luca, 2015. "Immigration policy and birth weight: Positive externalities in Italian law," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 128-139.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    birthweight; finite mixtures; intergenerational health trasmission; latent class model; structural equation models;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • C30 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - General

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