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Improving the Health and Education of Elementary Schoolchildren in Rural China: Iron Supplementation Versus Nutritional Training for Parents

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  • Ho Lun Wong
  • Yaojiang Shi
  • Renfu Luo
  • Linxiu Zhang
  • Scott Rozelle

Abstract

We report on the results of a randomised controlled trial conducted among over 2,000 children in 60 elementary schools in rural Shaanxi Province, North-west China. We find that providing children with daily iron supplements for six months improved children's haemoglobin levels and standardised maths scores. In comparison, educating parents about nutrition and anaemia in a special parents meeting produced a modest impact on children's haemoglobin levels. We also find heterogeneous intervention effects by children's gender, anaemia status and boarding status. Overall, iron supplementation is more effective. However, given its low cost and simple implementation, parental education should still be considered.

Suggested Citation

  • Ho Lun Wong & Yaojiang Shi & Renfu Luo & Linxiu Zhang & Scott Rozelle, 2014. "Improving the Health and Education of Elementary Schoolchildren in Rural China: Iron Supplementation Versus Nutritional Training for Parents," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(4), pages 502-519, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:jdevst:v:50:y:2014:i:4:p:502-519
    DOI: 10.1080/00220388.2013.866223
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Emla Fitzsimons & Bansi Malde & Alice Mesnard & Marcos Vera-Hernandez, 2012. "Household responses to information on child nutrition: experimental evidence from Malawi," IFS Working Papers W12/07, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
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    Cited by:

    1. Wang, Huan & Guan, Hongyu & Yi, Hongmei & Seevak, Emma & Manheim, Reid & Boswell, Matthew & Rozelle, Scott & Kotb, Sarah, 2020. "Independent reading in rural China’s elementary schools: A mixed-methods analysis," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    2. Krämer, Marion & Kumar, Santosh & Vollmer, Sebastian, 2021. "Anemia, diet, and cognitive development: Impact of health information on diet quality and child nutrition in rural India," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 190(C), pages 495-523.
    3. Siebert, W. Stanley & Wei, Xiangdong & Wong, Ho Lun & Zhou, Xiang, 2018. "Student Feedback, Parent-Teacher Communication, and Academic Performance: Experimental Evidence from Rural China," IZA Discussion Papers 11347, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Yongqing Dong & Quheng Deng & Shaoping Li, 2022. "The Health Inequality of Children in China: A Regression-Based Decomposition Analysis," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 15(1), pages 137-159, February.
    5. Kelly A. Davidson & Jaclyn D. Kropp & Conner Mullally & Md. Wakilur Rahman, 2021. "Can Simple Nudges and Workshops Improve Diet Quality? Evidence from a Randomized Trial in Bangladesh," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 103(1), pages 253-274, January.
    6. Daniel Bennett & Asjad Naqvi & Wolf‐Peter Schmidt, 2018. "Learning, Hygiene and Traditional Medicine," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 128(612), pages 545-574, July.
    7. Wu, Yichao & Guo, Zhenli, 2020. "An analysis of the nutritional status of left-behind children in rural China and the impact mechanisms of child malnutrition," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    8. Hongyan Liu & Yaojiang Shi & Emma Auden & Scott Rozelle, 2018. "Anxiety in Rural Chinese Children and Adolescents: Comparisons across Provinces and among Subgroups," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-14, September.

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