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Fetal Iodine Deficiency and Schooling: A Replication of Field, Robles, and Torero (2009)

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  • Niklas Bengtsson
  • Fredrik Sävje
  • Stefan Swartling Peterson

Abstract

Scholars have theorized that congenital health endowment is an important determinant of economic outcomes later in a person's life. Field, Robles, and Torero (2009, American Economic Journal: Applied Economics 1, 140–169) find large increases in educational attainment caused by a reduction of fetal iodine deficiency following a set of iodine supplementation programs in Tanzania. We revisit the Tanzanian iodine programs with a narrow and wide replication of the study by Field et al. We are able to exactly replicate the original results. We find, however, that the findings are sensitive to alternative specification choices and sample restrictions. We try to address some of these concerns in the wide replication; we increase the sample size fourfold, and we improve the precision of the treatment variable by incorporating new institutional and medical insights. Despite the improvements, no effect is found. We conclude that the available data do not provide sufficient power to detect a possible effect, as treatment assignment cannot be measured with sufficient precision.

Suggested Citation

  • Niklas Bengtsson & Fredrik Sävje & Stefan Swartling Peterson, 2020. "Fetal Iodine Deficiency and Schooling: A Replication of Field, Robles, and Torero (2009)," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 122(2), pages 582-621, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:scandj:v:122:y:2020:i:2:p:582-621
    DOI: 10.1111/sjoe.12341
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. James Feyrer & Dimitra Politi & David N. Weil, 2017. "The Cognitive Effects of Micronutrient Deficiency: Evidence from Salt Iodization in the United States," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 15(2), pages 355-387.
    2. Erica Field & Omar Robles & Maximo Torero, 2009. "Iodine Deficiency and Schooling Attainment in Tanzania," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 1(4), pages 140-169, October.
    3. A. Colin Cameron & Jonah B. Gelbach & Douglas L. Miller, 2008. "Bootstrap-Based Improvements for Inference with Clustered Errors," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 90(3), pages 414-427, August.
    4. Politi, Dimitra, 2010. "The Impact of Iodine Deficiency Eradication on Schooling: Evidence from the Introduction of Iodized Salt in Switzerland," SIRE Discussion Papers 2010-02, Scottish Institute for Research in Economics (SIRE).
    5. Douglas Almond & Janet Currie, 2011. "Killing Me Softly: The Fetal Origins Hypothesis," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 25(3), pages 153-172, Summer.
    6. Marianne Bertrand & Esther Duflo & Sendhil Mullainathan, 2004. "How Much Should We Trust Differences-In-Differences Estimates?," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 119(1), pages 249-275.
    7. Achyuta Adhvaryu & Steven Bednar & Teresa Molina & Quynh Nguyen & Anant Nyshadham, 2020. "When It Rains It Pours: The Long-Run Economic Impacts of Salt Iodization in the United States," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 102(2), pages 395-407, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Benjamin Ly Serena, 2022. "Cognitive consequences of iodine deficiency in adolescence: evidence from salt iodization in Denmark," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 124(3), pages 869-902, July.

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