IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/plo/pone00/0217614.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Primary care physicians and infant mortality: Evidence from Brazil

Author

Listed:
  • Letícia Xander Russo
  • Anthony Scott
  • Peter Sivey
  • Joilson Dias

Abstract

Primary health care has been recognized as a critical strategy for improving population health in developing countries. This paper investigates the effect of primary care physicians on the infant mortality rate in Brazil using a dynamic panel data approach. This method accounts for the endogeneity problem and the persistence of infant mortality over time. The empirical analysis uses an eight-year panel of municipalities between 2005 and 2012. The results indicate that primary care physician supply contributed to the decline of infant mortality in Brazil. An increase of one primary care physician per 10,000 population was associated with 7.08 fewer infant deaths per 10,000 live births. This suggests that, in addition to other determinants, primary care physicians can play an important role in accounting for the reduction of infant mortality rates.

Suggested Citation

  • Letícia Xander Russo & Anthony Scott & Peter Sivey & Joilson Dias, 2019. "Primary care physicians and infant mortality: Evidence from Brazil," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(5), pages 1-16, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0217614
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0217614
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0217614
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0217614&type=printable
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1371/journal.pone.0217614?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gamper-Rabindran, Shanti & Khan, Shakeeb & Timmins, Christopher, 2010. "The impact of piped water provision on infant mortality in Brazil: A quantile panel data approach," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(2), pages 188-200, July.
    2. Arellano, Manuel & Bover, Olympia, 1995. "Another look at the instrumental variable estimation of error-components models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 68(1), pages 29-51, July.
    3. Romero Rocha & Rodrigo R. Soares, 2010. "Evaluating the impact of community‐based health interventions: evidence from Brazil's Family Health Program," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 19(S1), pages 126-158, September.
    4. David Roodman, 2009. "How to do xtabond2: An introduction to difference and system GMM in Stata," Stata Journal, StataCorp LP, vol. 9(1), pages 86-136, March.
    5. Macinko, J. & De Oliveira, V.B. & Turci, M.A. & Guanais, F.C. & Bonolo, P.F. & Lima-Costa, M.F., 2011. "The influence of primary care and hospital supply on ambulatory care-sensitive hospitalizations among adults in Brazil, 1999-2007," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 101(10), pages 1963-1970.
    6. Guanais, F.C., 2013. "The combined effects of the expansion of primary health care and conditional cash transfers on infant mortality in Brazil, 1998-2010," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 103(11), pages 2000-2006.
    7. Jeffrey M Wooldridge, 2010. "Econometric Analysis of Cross Section and Panel Data," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 2, volume 1, number 0262232588, April.
    8. Blundell, Richard & Bond, Stephen, 1998. "Initial conditions and moment restrictions in dynamic panel data models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 87(1), pages 115-143, August.
    9. Angelica Sousa & Mario R Dal Poz & Cynthia Boschi-Pinto, 2013. "Reducing Inequities in Neonatal Mortality through Adequate Supply of Health Workers: Evidence from Newborn Health in Brazil," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(9), pages 1-7, September.
    10. Mishra, Prachi & Newhouse, David, 2009. "Does health aid matter?," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 28(4), pages 855-872, July.
    11. David Roodman, 2009. "A Note on the Theme of Too Many Instruments," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 71(1), pages 135-158, February.
    12. Barros, F.C. & Matijasevích, A. & Requejo, J.H. & Giugliani, E. & Maranhão, A.G. & Monteiro, C.A. & Barros, A.J.D. & Bustreo, F. & Merialdi, M. & Victora, C.G., 2010. "Recent trends in maternal, newborn, and child health in brazil: Progress toward millennium development goals 4 and 5," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 100(10), pages 1877-1889.
    13. Aakvik, Arild & Holmas, Tor Helge, 2006. "Access to primary health care and health outcomes: The relationships between GP characteristics and mortality rates," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 25(6), pages 1139-1153, November.
    14. Farahani, Mansour & Subramanian, S.V. & Canning, David, 2009. "The effect of changes in health sector resources on infant mortality in the short-run and the long-run: A longitudinal econometric analysis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 68(11), pages 1918-1925, June.
    15. Nickell, Stephen J, 1981. "Biases in Dynamic Models with Fixed Effects," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 49(6), pages 1417-1426, November.
    16. Luiz Felipe Campos Fontes & Otavio Canozzi Conceição & Paulo de Andrade Jacinto, 2018. "Evaluating the impact of physicians' provision on primary healthcare: Evidence from Brazil's More Doctors Program," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(8), pages 1284-1299, August.
    17. Manuel Arellano & Stephen Bond, 1991. "Some Tests of Specification for Panel Data: Monte Carlo Evidence and an Application to Employment Equations," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 58(2), pages 277-297.
    18. Windmeijer, Frank, 2005. "A finite sample correction for the variance of linear efficient two-step GMM estimators," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 126(1), pages 25-51, May.
    19. Davide Rasella & Sanjay Basu & Thomas Hone & Romulo Paes-Sousa & Carlos Octávio Ocké-Reis & Christopher Millett, 2018. "Child morbidity and mortality associated with alternative policy responses to the economic crisis in Brazil: A nationwide microsimulation study," PLOS Medicine, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(5), pages 1-20, May.
    20. Aquino, R. & De Oliveira, N.F. & Barreto, M.L., 2009. "Impact of the Family Health Program on infant mortality in brazilian municipalities," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 99(1), pages 87-93.
    21. Arulampalam, Wiji & Bhalotra, Sonia R., 2006. "Persistence in Infant Mortality: Evidence for the Indian States," IZA Discussion Papers 2488, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Shongkour Roy & Tanjina Khatun, 2022. "Effect of adolescent female fertility and healthcare spending on maternal and neonatal mortality in low resource setting of South Asia," Health Economics Review, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 1-8, December.
    2. Godager , Geir & Scott, Anthony, 2023. "Physician Behavior and Health Outcomes," HERO Online Working Paper Series 2023:3, University of Oslo, Health Economics Research Programme.
    3. Joana Raquel Raposo Santos & Hellen Geremias Santos & Carlos Manuel Matias Dias & Alexandre Dias Porto Chiavegatto Filho, 2020. "Assessing the impact of a doctor in remote areas of Brazil," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 65(3), pages 267-272, April.
    4. Alexandre Bugelli & Roxane Borgès Da Silva & Ladislau Dowbor & Claude Sicotte, 2021. "The Determinants of Infant Mortality in Brazil, 2010–2020: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(12), pages 1-28, June.
    5. Joana Raquel Raposo Santos & Hellen Geremias Santos & Carlos Manuel Matias Dias & Alexandre Dias Porto Chiavegatto Filho, 0. "Assessing the impact of a doctor in remote areas of Brazil," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 0, pages 1-6.
    6. Jinlin Liu & Karen Eggleston, 2022. "The Association between Health Workforce and Health Outcomes: A Cross-Country Econometric Study," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 163(2), pages 609-632, September.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Tadadjeu, Sosson & Njangang, Henri & Asongu, Simplice A. & Kamguia, Brice, 2023. "Natural resources, child mortality and governance quality in African countries," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    2. Armey, Laura E. & McNab, Robert M., 2018. "Expenditure decentralization and natural resources," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 52-61.
    3. Bousmah, Marwân-al-Qays & Iwuji, Collins & Okesola, Nonhlanhla & Orne-Gliemann, Joanna & Pillay, Deenan & Dabis, François & Larmarange, Joseph & Boyer, Sylvie, 2022. "Costs and economies of scale in repeated home-based HIV counselling and testing: Evidence from the ANRS 12249 Treatment as Prevention trial in South Africa," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 305(C).
    4. Canarella, Giorgio & Miller, Stephen M., 2018. "The determinants of growth in the U.S. information and communication technology (ICT) industry: A firm-level analysis," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 259-271.
    5. Philipp Grunau, 2016. "The impact of overeducated and undereducated workers on establishment-level productivity," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 37(2), pages 372-392, May.
    6. Nguyen Thi Tuong Anh & Hung Quang Doan & Tuan Anh Bui & Nam Hoang Vu & Duong Thuy Thanh Le, 2022. "A Revisit of Motives for Chinese Outward Foreign Direct Investment: The Role of the Institution in Host Countries," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(4), pages 21582440221, December.
    7. Marwan-Al-Qays Bousmah & Collins Iwuji & Nonhlanhla Okesola & Joanna Orne-Gliemann & Deenan Pillay & Francois Dabis & Joseph Larmarange & Sylvie Boyer, 2022. "Costs and economies of scale in repeated home-based HIV counselling and testing: Evidence from the ANRS 12249 treatment as prevention trial in South Africa," Post-Print hal-03701046, HAL.
    8. Trotta, Gianluca & Hansen, Anders Rhiger & Sommer, Stephan, 2022. "The price elasticity of residential district heating demand: New evidence from a dynamic panel approach," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 112(C).
    9. Tékam Oumbé, Honoré & Djeunankan, Ronald & Kos A Mougnol, Alice, 2024. "Analysing the effect of foreign aid on industrialization: Evidence from Africa," International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 178(C).
    10. Zheng, Xinye & Li, Fanghua & Song, Shunfeng & Yu, Yihua, 2013. "Central government's infrastructure investment across Chinese regions: A dynamic spatial panel data approach," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 27(C), pages 264-276.
    11. Lamar Crombach & Frank Bohn, 2024. "Uninformed voters with (im)precise expectations: Explaining political budget cycle puzzles," Economics and Politics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(1), pages 275-311, March.
    12. Njangang, Henri & Asongu, Simplice A. & Tadadjeu, Sosson & Nounamo, Yann & Kamguia, Brice, 2022. "Governance in mitigating the effect of oil wealth on wealth inequality: A cross-country analysis of policy thresholds," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    13. Emna Trabelsi, 2022. "Macroprudential Transparency and Price Stability in Emerging and Developing Countries," Journal of Central Banking Theory and Practice, Central bank of Montenegro, vol. 11(1), pages 105-129.
    14. Scott, K. Rebecca, 2015. "Demand and price uncertainty: Rational habits in international gasoline demand," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 40-49.
    15. Albaladejo, Isabel P. & González-Martínez, María Isabel & Martínez-García, María Pilar, 2016. "Nonconstant reputation effect in a dynamic tourism demand model for Spain," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 132-139.
    16. Mohamed Boly, 2018. "CO 2 mitigation in developing countries: the role of foreign aid," Working Papers halshs-01740881, HAL.
    17. Joseph L. Dieleman & Michael Hanlon, 2014. "Measuring The Displacement And Replacement Of Government Health Expenditure," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 23(2), pages 129-140, February.
    18. Yerrabati, Sridevi, 2022. "Does vulnerable employment alleviate poverty in developing countries?," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    19. Orkhan Nadirov & Bruce Dehning, 2020. "Tax Progressivity and Entrepreneurial Dynamics," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-21, April.
    20. Gandjon Fankem, Gislain Stéphane & Feyom, Cédric, 2024. "Does trade openness improve or worsen public governance in sub-Saharan Africa?," International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 178(C).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0217614. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: plosone (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.