One indirect effect of expenditure on education may be its effects on health. Within developing countries, the children of educated parents face lower risks of premature death. This is apparent from analysis of both the World Fertility Surveys and the subsequent Demographic and Health Surveys (Hobcraft, 1993). Parental education is also associated with better child anthropometric status (weight and height), although the association is less marked than that with mortality. However, in socio-economic surveys, educated parents are often more likely to report that their children have been ill. This suggests that educated parents are better at recognising medical problems in their children.
Part of the association between parental education and child mortality may work via household income. However, the independent impact of education in models which carefully control for income shows this cannot be the only transmission mechanism. Indeed, many studies have found education to have a stronger direct effect on child health than income.8 The direct effect of education may be informational. In Uganda, recent work found educated mothers to be better informed about various diseases and that such information was strongly associated with lower child mortality (Mackinnon, 1995). Similarly, in Morocco, mothers’ education appears to improve child anthropometric status by providing cognitive skills which increase knowledge about health (Glewwe, 1997). In Côte d’Ivoire and Kenya, educated mothers are more likely to send sick children for treatment (Appleton, 1992).
Human Capital and Economic Development Simon Appleton and Francis Teal
To learn more about this author, visit African Development Bank's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
 |
Related Businesses - Evan Elite Authors |
|
The Evan Elite Authors program is currently in beta phase. For details please contact us.
|
|
|
African Development Bank
(Visit African's Website)
The African Development Bank is the
premier financial development institution
of Africa, dedicated to combating poverty
and improving the lives of people of the
continent and engaged in the task of
mobilizing resources towards the economic
and social progress of its Regional Member
Countries.The Bank’s s mission is to
promote economic and social development
through loans, equity investments, and
technical assistance.
The ADB is a multilateral development bank
whose shareholders include 53 African
countries and 24 non-African countries
from the Americas, Asia, and Europe. It
was established in 1964, with its
headquarters in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire,
and officially began operations in 1967.
|
|
|
African Development Bank's
Complete
List Of
African-Accounts
Articles
|
|
If you enjoyed this article, get African Development Bank's Complete List of African-Accounts Articles For FREE!
|
|
|
|