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Does Maternal Age Affect Children's Test Scores?

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  • Andrew Leigh
  • Xiaodong Gong

Abstract

We estimate the relationship between maternal age and child outcomes, using indices aimed at measuring overall outcomes, learning outcomes and social outcomes. In all cases, we find evidence that children of older mothers have better outcomes. Not only do children born to mothers in their twenties do better than children born to teen mothers, but children born to mothers in their thirties do better than children born to mothers in their twenties. However, when we control for other socioeconomic characteristics, such as family income, parental education and single parenthood, the coefficients on maternal age become small and statistically insignificant. The only exception is an index of social outcomes, which is positively associated with maternal age, even controlling for socioeconomic factors. For cognitive outcomes, young motherhood appears to be a marker, not a cause, of poor child outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrew Leigh & Xiaodong Gong, 2010. "Does Maternal Age Affect Children's Test Scores?," Australian Economic Review, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, vol. 43(1), pages 12-27, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ausecr:v:43:y:2010:i:1:p:12-27
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8462.2009.00573.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Josefine Card, 1981. "Long-term consequences for children of teenage parents," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 18(2), pages 137-156, May.
    2. Arline T. Geronimus & Sanders Korenman, 1992. "The Socioeconomic Consequences of Teen Childbearing Reconsidered," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 107(4), pages 1187-1214.
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    Cited by:

    1. Helena Skyt Nielsen & Beatrice Schindler Rangvid, 2012. "The impact of parents’ years since migration on children’s academic achievement," IZA Journal of Migration and Development, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 1(1), pages 1-23, December.
    2. Dessy, Sylvain & Diarra, Setou & Pongou, Roland, 2017. "Underage Brides and Grooms' Education," MPRA Paper 77326, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Greg J. Duncan & Kenneth T. H. Lee & Maria Rosales-Rueda & Ariel Kalil, 2018. "Maternal Age and Child Development," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 55(6), pages 2229-2255, December.
    4. Sylvain Dessy, Setou Diarra, Roland Pongou & Setou Diarra & Roland Pongou, 2016. "Adolescent Brides and Grooms' Education: Theory and Evidence," Cahiers de recherche 1610, Centre de recherche sur les risques, les enjeux économiques, et les politiques publiques.
    5. Dessy, Sylvain & Pongou, Roland & Diarra, Setou, 2017. "Underage Brides and Grooms' Education," MPRA Paper 77526, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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