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Self-Selection, Prenatal Care, and Birthweight among Blacks, Whites, and Hispanics in New York City

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  • Theodore Joyce

Abstract

The paper tests whether the impact of prenatal care on birthweight is contaminated by selection bias, and if so, whether adverse or favorable selection dominates. A two-stage selectivity correction model with an ordered criterion function is applied to race- and ethnic-specific data from 1984 New York City birth certificates. We find that ordinary least squares underestimates the effects of prenatal care on birthweight by at least 80 percent for whites and Hispanics. The results point to adverse selection in the demand for prenatal care.

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  • Theodore Joyce, 1994. "Self-Selection, Prenatal Care, and Birthweight among Blacks, Whites, and Hispanics in New York City," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 29(3), pages 762-794.
    • Handle: RePEc:uwp:jhriss:v:29:y:1994:iii:1:p:762-794
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    Cited by:

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    3. Fidel Gonzalez & Santosh Kumar, 2018. "Prenatal care and birthweight in Mexico," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(10), pages 1156-1170, February.
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    5. Hope Corman & Dhaval Dave & Nancy E. Reichman, 2018. "Evolution of the Infant Health Production Function," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 85(1), pages 6-47, July.
    6. Michael Grossman, 1999. "The Human Capital Model of the Demand for Health," NBER Working Papers 7078, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. Ellen Meara, 2001. "Why is Health Related to Socioeconomic Status?," NBER Working Papers 8231, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. David Mmopelwa, 2019. "Prenatal care utilization and infant health in Botswana," Discussion Papers 2019-09, University of Nottingham, CREDIT.
    9. Evans, William N. & Lien, Diana S., 2005. "The benefits of prenatal care: evidence from the PAT bus strike," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 125(1-2), pages 207-239.
    10. Resul Cesur & Inas Rashad, 2008. "High Birth Weight and Cognitive Outcomes," NBER Working Papers 14524, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    11. Kaestner, Robert & Joyce, Theodore & Wehbeh, Hassan, 1996. "The Effect of Maternal Drug Use on Birth Weight: Measurement Error in Binary Variables," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 34(4), pages 617-629, October.
    12. Diether W. Beuermann & Patricia Garcia & Jose Perez Lu & Rafael Anta & Alessandro Maffioli & Maria Fernanda Rodrigo, 2020. "Information and Communication Technologies, Prenatal Care Services, and Neonatal Health," Journal of Economics, Race, and Policy, Springer, vol. 3(1), pages 41-59, March.
    13. Karen Smith Conway & Andrea Kutinova, 2006. "Maternal health: does prenatal care make a difference?," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 15(5), pages 461-488, May.
    14. Hoyong Jung, 2023. "Can Universal Cash Transfer Save Newborns’ Birth Weight During the Pandemic?," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 42(1), pages 1-22, February.
    15. Aparna Lhila & Sharon Long, 2012. "What is driving the black–white difference in low birthweight in the US?," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 21(3), pages 301-315, March.
    16. George L. Wehby & Jeffrey C. Murray & Eduardo E. Castilla & Jorge S. Lopez‐Camelo & Robert L. Ohsfeldt, 2009. "Quantile effects of prenatal care utilization on birth weight in Argentina," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 18(11), pages 1307-1321, November.
    17. Issidor Noumba & Quentin Lebrun Nzouessah Feunke, 2020. "Parental Education, Household Health, and Household Standard of Living: Evidence from Rural Cameroon," International Business Research, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 13(7), pages 113-113, July.
    18. Nastis, Stefanos A. & Crocker, Thomas D., 2012. "Valuing mother and child health: The intrauterine environment," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 10(3), pages 318-328.
    19. Okeke, Edward N. & Abubakar, Isa S., 2020. "Healthcare at the beginning of life and child survival: Evidence from a cash transfer experiment in Nigeria," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    20. Cesur Resul & Kelly Inas Rashad, 2010. "From Cradle to Classroom: High Birth Weight and Cognitive Outcomes," Forum for Health Economics & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 13(2), pages 1-26, March.
    21. Adjiwanou, Vissého & LeGrand, Thomas, 2013. "Does antenatal care matter in the use of skilled birth attendance in rural Africa: A multi-country analysis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 26-34.
    22. Gissele Gajate-Garrido, 2013. "The Impact of Adequate Prenatal Care on Urban Birth Outcomes: An Analysis in a Developing Country Context," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 62(1), pages 95-130.
    23. Michele Ploeg, 2009. "Do Benefits of U.S. Food Assistance Programs for Children Spillover to Older Children in the Same Household?," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 30(4), pages 412-427, December.
    24. Geoffrey Warner, 1998. "Birthweight Productivity of Prenatal Care," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 65(1), pages 42-63, July.
    25. Wehby, George L. & Murray, Jeffrey C. & Castilla, Eduardo E. & Lopez-Camelo, Jorge S. & Ohsfeldt, Robert L., 2009. "Prenatal care demand and its effects on birth outcomes by birth defect status in Argentina," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 7(1), pages 84-95, March.

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