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Weather Shocks, Birth and Early Life Health: Evidence of Different Gender Impacts

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  • Olukorede Abiona

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of exposure to weather events during gestation on birth weight and anthropometric health of a cohort of children. We explore birth records for the cohort of children born between 2003 and 2013 in Sierra Leone using Demographic Health Surveys linked to temporal variation of rainfall and temperature patterns. We find that in utero droughts (or abnormally low precipitation levels) increase the prevalence of low birth weight with larger effects among boys. However, the effects of those same in utero shocks on the prevalence of stunting up to 59 months later are smaller for boys than for girls. The gender difference in estimated impacts from birth to anthropometric health is attributed to food consumption patterns that favour boys. Our results have policy implications for tracking health outcomes during early childhood using birth and anthropometric health, especially by gender.

Suggested Citation

  • Olukorede Abiona, 2024. "Weather Shocks, Birth and Early Life Health: Evidence of Different Gender Impacts," Journal of African Economies, Centre for the Study of African Economies, vol. 33(1), pages 46-66.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:jafrec:v:33:y:2024:i:1:p:46-66.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/jae/ejac031
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    birth outcomes; anthropometric health; weather shocks; household allocation; JEL classification: D13; I15; J16; Q54; Q56;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D13 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Production and Intrahouse Allocation
    • I15 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Economic Development
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming
    • Q56 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environment and Development; Environment and Trade; Sustainability; Environmental Accounts and Accounting; Environmental Equity; Population Growth

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