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The Effect of Children on Health

Author

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  • Beatrice Baaba Tawiah

    (Paderborn University)

Abstract

This paper analyses the causal effect of having children on parents' health. I consider men and women from ages 50 to 90 with at least two children in the German Socio-Economic Panel data. Twin birth at second birth and same sex of first two children are used as instruments to exogenously determine the number of children. I find negative effects on the BMI of women, and negative effects on the mental and physical health of men. Looking at the effects over the life-cycle, I find that the BMI of women increases until age 64. Mental health starts to decline from age 75. The effect on physical health fluctuates over the life-cycle. The results show that children negatively affect parental health and the effects are not constant over the life-cycle.

Suggested Citation

  • Beatrice Baaba Tawiah, 2023. "The Effect of Children on Health," Working Papers Dissertations 103, Paderborn University, Faculty of Business Administration and Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:pdn:dispap:103
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Childbirth; Health; Instrumental variables;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • C21 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Cross-Sectional Models; Spatial Models; Treatment Effect Models
    • C36 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Instrumental Variables (IV) Estimation

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