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Children's stunting in sub-Saharan Africa: Is there an externality effect of high fertility?

Author

Listed:
  • Øystein Kravdal

    (Universitetet i Oslo)

  • Ivy Kodzi

    (Ohio State University)

Abstract

A positive relationship between the number of siblings and a child’s chance of being stunted has been seen in several studies. It is possible that individual stunting risks are also raised by high fertility in the community, partly because of the impact of aggregate fertility on the local economy, but this issue has not been addressed in earlier investigations. In this study we estimate the independent effect of the child dependency ratio in the province (or governorate, region, or larger geopolitical zone within a country), using DHS data on up to 145,000 children in 152 provinces in 23 countries with at least two such surveys. The data design allows inclusion of lagged province variables and province fixed effects (to control for constant unobserved province characteristics). Three types of regression models for a child’s chance of being stunted are estimated. Some estimates suggest an adverse effect of the current child dependency ratio, net of the child’s number of siblings, while others do not point in this direction. When the child dependency ratio measured in an earlier survey is included instead, no significant effects appear. Thus, we conclude that there is only weak support for the idea that a child’s stunting risk may be raised by high fertility in the community.

Suggested Citation

  • Øystein Kravdal & Ivy Kodzi, 2011. "Children's stunting in sub-Saharan Africa: Is there an externality effect of high fertility?," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 25(18), pages 565-594.
    • Handle: RePEc:dem:demres:v:25:y:2011:i:18
    DOI: 10.4054/DemRes.2011.25.18
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    Cited by:

    1. Mahesh Karra & David Canning & Joshua Wilde, 2015. "A Simulation Model of the Effect of Fertility Reduction on Economic Growth in Africa," Working Papers 0315, University of South Florida, Department of Economics.
    2. Martin Flatø, 2018. "The Differential Mortality of Undesired Infants in Sub-Saharan Africa," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 55(1), pages 271-294, February.
    3. Khadija Loudghiri & Abdesselam Fazouane & Nouzha Zaoujal, 2021. "The Well-Being of Children in Morocco: What Barriers?," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 14(6), pages 2285-2324, December.
    4. Million Phiri & Liness Shasha & Emmanuel Musonda & Mikidadi Muhanga & Musonda Lemba, 2023. "Choice of desired family size among young women in Zambia: what matters?," Journal of Population Research, Springer, vol. 40(3), pages 1-18, September.
    5. Emily Smith-Greenaway & Jenny Trinitapoli, 2014. "Polygynous Contexts, Family Structure, and Infant Mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 51(2), pages 341-366, April.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    fertility; Africa; multilevel model; stunting; siblings; consequences of high fertility; externality;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics
    • Z0 - Other Special Topics - - General

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