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Does children's education matter for parents’ health and cognition? Evidence from China

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  • Ma, Mingming

Abstract

Intergenerational transmission of human capital from parents to offspring is widely documented. However, whether there are upward spillovers from children to parents remains understudied. This paper uses data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study to estimate the causal impact of educational attainment of children on various health and cognition outcomes of older parents. Identification is achieved by using the exposure of children to the compulsory education law in China and its interaction with local schooling level before law enforcement as instruments for children's years of schooling. IV estimation results demonstrate that increasing years of education of children lead to better cognitive functions, higher survival expectations and improved lung function of Chinese older parents. Further evidence suggests that children's education might shape health of older parents by providing financial support, affecting the access to resources and influencing the labor supply and psychological well-being of parents.

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  • Ma, Mingming, 2019. "Does children's education matter for parents’ health and cognition? Evidence from China," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 222-240.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jhecon:v:66:y:2019:i:c:p:222-240
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2019.06.004
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    3. Liu, Chang & Eriksson, Tor & Yi, Fujin, 2021. "Offspring migration and nutritional status of left-behind older adults in rural China," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 41(C).
    4. Fang Guanfu & Chen Yu, 2021. "Sibling Rivalry: Evidence from China’s Compulsory Schooling Reform," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 21(2), pages 611-656, April.
    5. Peng, Fei & Anwar, Sajid & Kang, Lili, 2022. "Number of siblings, access to treated water and returns to education in China," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 526-538.
    6. Youhong Lin & Feng Liu & Peng Xu, 2021. "Effects of drought on infant mortality in China," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(2), pages 248-269, February.
    7. Torres, Jacqueline M. & Yahirun, Jenjira J. & Sheehan, Connor & Ma, Mingming & Sáenz, Joseph, 2021. "Adult child socio-economic status disadvantage and cognitive decline among older parents in Mexico," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 279(C).
    8. Ning Wei & Lülin Zhou & Wenhao Huang, 2022. "Does an upward intergenerational educational spillover effect exist? The effect of children’s education on Chinese parents’ health," International Journal of Health Economics and Management, Springer, vol. 22(1), pages 69-89, March.
    9. Lei, Lei & Yu, Dandan & Zhou, Yang, 2023. "Better educated children, better Internet-connected elderly parents," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(4).
    10. Yanna Ma & Zhanli Ma & Moqin Yang, 2022. "Does Adult Children’s Education Increase Parents’ Longevity in China?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-15, November.
    11. Cui, Ying & Liu, Hong & Zhao, Liqiu, 2021. "Protective effect of adult children's education on parental survival in China: Gender differences and underlying mechanisms," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 277(C).
    12. Bai, Jin & Tang, Jue & Xie, Qiang, 2022. "Does children’s marriage matter for parents' mental health？Evidence from China," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    13. Cai, Weicheng & Zhou, Yi, 2022. "Men smoke less under the COVID-19 closure policies: The role of altruism," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 306(C).
    14. Cornelissen, Thomas & Dang, Thang, 2022. "The multigenerational impacts of educational expansion: Evidence from Vietnam," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    15. Bingzheng Chen & Peiyun Deng & Xiaodong Fan, 2022. "Effect of compulsory education on retirement financial outcomes: evidence from China," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 124(4), pages 958-989, October.
    16. Zhou, Yang & Yang, Manfang & Gan, Xu, 2023. "Education and financial literacy: Evidence from compulsory schooling law in China," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 335-346.
    17. Youlu Zhang & Li Zhang & Fulian Li & Liqian Deng & Jiaoli Cai & Linyue Yu, 2022. "Offspring Education and Parents’ Health Inequality in China: Evidence from Spillovers of Education Reform," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(4), pages 1-26, February.
    18. Cheng, Zhiming & Smyth, Russell, 2021. "Education and migrant entrepreneurship in urban China," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 188(C), pages 506-529.
    19. Ziyu Liu & Ke Zhao & Jinquan Liu & Yongfu Liu, 2023. "The Impact of Household Debt on the Health of the Elderly in China: Evidence from China Family Panel Studies," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-21, February.
    20. Li, Yaoyue & Wang, Guixin & Li, Guofeng, 2021. "Educational attainment of offspring and obesity among older adults in China," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 286(C).
    21. Xindong Xue & Mingmei Cheng & Wangyongxin Zhang, 2021. "Does Education Really Improve Health? A Meta‐Analysis," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(1), pages 71-105, February.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Education; Health; Cognition; Children; Upward spillover; China;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I15 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Economic Development
    • J14 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of the Elderly; Economics of the Handicapped; Non-Labor Market Discrimination
    • N37 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - Africa; Oceania

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