Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP8915
Authors: Emla Fitzsimons; Bansi Malde; Alice Mesnard; Marcos Vera-Hernández
Abstract: This paper provides evidence on household responses to the relaxation of one barrier constraining adoption of health practices - lack of information - in a resource constrained setting. It examines the effects of a randomized intervention in Malawi which provides mothers with information on infant nutrition and health. It finds that the intervention results in increases in household food consumption, particularly of protein-rich foods by children. The increased household consumption is funded by increased father?s labor supply, constituting evidence that changes in the perceived child health production function affect adult labor supply. Improved consumption also results in better child health.
Keywords: Cluster Randomised Control Trial; Health Information; Infant Health
JEL Codes: D10; I15; I18; O12; O15
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Provision of information on child nutrition (D18) | Increase in household food consumption (D10) |
| Increase in household food consumption (D10) | Increase in labor supply from fathers (J22) |
| Provision of information on child nutrition (D18) | Increase in labor supply from fathers (J22) |
| Increase in labor supply from fathers (J22) | Improved child health outcomes (increase in height by 0.20 standard deviations) (I14) |
| Provision of information on child nutrition (D18) | Improved maternal knowledge of child nutrition (J13) |
| Improved maternal knowledge of child nutrition (J13) | Changes in infant feeding practices (J13) |
| Changes in infant feeding practices (J13) | Overall household consumption (D10) |
| Provision of information on child nutrition (D18) | Spillover effects on older children (increased food intake) (D19) |