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The effect of sibling size on children's health: a regression discontinuity design approach based on China's one-child policy

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  • Zhong, Hai

Abstract

A major challenge to the empirical studies on the effect of sibling size on children's health is the endogeneity of family size. The radical one-child policy implemented in 1979 in China provides us with a unique opportunity to apply a regression discontinuity design method to examine this issue, which requires much weaker assumptions than the IV approaches used in previous studies. Our results indicate that although there are statistically significant associations between sibling size and children's health, there is no evidence for the quantity–quality trade-off.

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  • Zhong, Hai, 2014. "The effect of sibling size on children's health: a regression discontinuity design approach based on China's one-child policy," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 156-165.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:chieco:v:31:y:2014:i:c:p:156-165
    DOI: 10.1016/j.chieco.2014.09.003
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    3. Zhou, Ying & Jia, Nan & Yang, Tianchi, 2021. "The quantity–quality trade-off related to investment in healthy human capital: New evidence from the implementation of the “selective two-child policy” in China," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
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    5. Gao, Yanyan & Qu, Zhaopeng, 2019. "‘More Children, More Happiness?’: New Evidence from Elderly Parents in China," GLO Discussion Paper Series 366, Global Labor Organization (GLO).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Health; Sibling size; Quantity–quality trade-off; One-child policy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration

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