Working Paper: NBER ID: w27611
Authors: Joan Hamory; Edward Miguel; Michael W. Walker; Michael Kremer; Sarah J. Baird
Abstract: This study exploits a randomized school health intervention that provided deworming treatment to Kenyan children and utilizes longitudinal data to estimate impacts on economic outcomes up to 20 years later. The effective respondent tracking rate was 84%. Individuals who received 2 to 3 additional years of childhood deworming experience an increase of 14% in consumption expenditure, 13% in hourly earnings, 9% in non-agricultural work hours, and are 9% more likely to live in urban areas. Most effects are concentrated among males and older individuals. Given deworming's low cost, a conservative annualized social internal rate of return estimate is 37%.
Keywords: Deworming; Child Health; Economic Outcomes; Randomized Controlled Trial
JEL Codes: I15; J24; O15
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Childhood deworming treatment (I19) | Increase in consumption expenditures (E20) |
| Childhood deworming treatment (I19) | Increase in hourly earnings (J31) |
| Childhood deworming treatment (I19) | Increase in non-agricultural work hours (J29) |
| Childhood deworming treatment (I19) | Increased likelihood of residing in urban areas (R23) |
| Childhood deworming treatment (I19) | Improved health (I19) |
| Improved health (I19) | Increased educational attainment (I24) |
| Increased educational attainment (I24) | Enhanced labor market participation (J29) |
| Childhood deworming treatment (I19) | Significant positive shift in living standards (I31) |