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Money Transfer And Birth Weight: Evidence From The Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend

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  • Wankyo Chung
  • Hyungserk Ha
  • Beomsoo Kim

Abstract

type="main" xml:id="ecin12235-abs-0001"> The positive relationship between income and health is well established. However, the direction of causality remains unclear: do economic resources influence health, or vice versa? Exploiting a new source of exogenous income variation, this study examines the impact of the Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend (APFD) on newborns' health outcomes. The results show that income has a significantly positive, but modest effect on birth weight. We find that an additional $1,000 ($2,331 in 2011 dollars) increases birth weight by 17.7 g and substantially decreases the likelihood of a low birth weight (a decrease of around 14% of the sample mean). Furthermore, the income effect is higher for less-educated mothers. Based on a gestation-weight profile in the sample, increased gestation owing to the APFD could explain a maximum of 34%–57% of the measured weight increase, although we are unable to examine all the potential mechanisms. (JEL I10, I18, I12)

Suggested Citation

  • Wankyo Chung & Hyungserk Ha & Beomsoo Kim, 2016. "Money Transfer And Birth Weight: Evidence From The Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 54(1), pages 576-590, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ecinqu:v:54:y:2016:i:1:p:576-590
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1111/ecin.2016.54.issue-1
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    Cited by:

    1. Cooper, Kerris & Stewart, Kitty, 2017. "Does Money Affect Children’s Outcomes? An update," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 103494, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    2. Kim, Seonghoon & Koh, Kanghyock, 2021. "The effects of income on health: Evidence from lottery wins in Singapore," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    3. Jiaqi Yang & Geetha Mohan & Supriya Pipil & Kensuke Fukushi, 2021. "Review on basic income (BI): its theories and empirical cases," Journal of Social and Economic Development, Springer;Institute for Social and Economic Change, vol. 23(2), pages 203-239, December.
    4. Ermanno Affuso & Khandokar M. Istiak & Alex Sharland, 2022. "Sovereign wealth funds and economic growth," Journal of Asset Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 23(3), pages 201-214, May.
    5. Timilsina, Laxman, 2023. "Immigration policy shocks and infant health," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 51(C).
    6. Balsa, Ana I. & Triunfo, Patricia, 2022. "The COVID-19 pandemic and birth outcomes in 2020: The role of prenatal care and other channels," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 47(C).
    7. Laura Tach & Elizabeth Day, 2023. "Better Together? Multiplier and Spillover Effects in Two-Generation Initiatives," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 706(1), pages 193-223, March.
    8. Yonzan, Nishant & Timilsina, Laxman & Kelly, Inas Rashad, 2024. "Economic incentives surrounding fertility: Evidence from Alaska’s permanent fund dividend," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).
    9. Hema Shah & Lisa A. Gennetian, 2024. "Unconditional cash transfers for families with children in the U.S.: a scoping review," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 22(2), pages 415-450, June.
    10. Kerris Cooper & Kitty Stewart, 2017. "Does Money Affect Children's Outcomes? An update," CASE Papers /203, Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion, LSE.
    11. Redmond, Paul & McGuinness, Seamus & Ciprikis, Klavs, 2022. "A Universal Basic Income for Ireland: Lessons from the international literature," Research Series, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number RS146.
    12. Feinberg Robert M. & Kuehn Daniel, 2018. "Guaranteed Nonlabor Income and Labor Supply: The Effect of the Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 18(3), pages 1-13, July.
    13. Kerris Cooper & Kitty Stewart, 2021. "Does Household Income Affect children’s Outcomes? A Systematic Review of the Evidence," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 14(3), pages 981-1005, June.
    14. Mary Reader, 2021. "The birthweight effects of universal child benefits in pregnancy: quasi-experimental evidence from England and Wales," CASE Papers /222, Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion, LSE.
    15. Guettabi, Mouhcine & Witman, Allison, 2023. "Universal cash transfers and prescription utilization: Evidence from the Alaska permanent fund dividend," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    16. Mary Kopriva, 2023. "Universal Cash Transfer Impacts on Maternal and Infant Health," Working Papers 2023-02, University of Alaska Anchorage, Department of Economics.
    17. Jennifer Glass & Carolyn E. Waldrep, 2023. "Child Allowances and Work-Family Reconciliation Policies: What Best Reduces Child Poverty and Gender Inequality While Enabling Desired Fertility?," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 42(5), pages 1-57, October.
    18. Reader, Mary, 2023. "The infant health effects of starting universal child benefits in pregnancy: evidence from England and Wales," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 118458, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    19. Christopher R. McIntosh & Neil A. Wilmot & Adrienne Dinneen & Jason F. Shogren, 2022. "Minnesota—too late for a Sovereign Wealth Fund?," Mineral Economics, Springer;Raw Materials Group (RMG);Luleå University of Technology, vol. 35(1), pages 67-85, March.
    20. Cooper, Kerris & Stewart, Kitty, 2020. "Does household income affect children’s outcomes? A systematic review of the evidence," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 107029, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    21. Hoyong Jung, 2023. "Can Universal Cash Transfer Save Newborns’ Birth Weight During the Pandemic?," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 42(1), pages 1-22, February.
    22. Reader, Mary, 2023. "The infant health effects of starting universal child benefits in pregnancy: Evidence from England and Wales," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior

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