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The Impact of Improving Nutrition During Early Childhood on Education among Guatemalan Adults

Author

Listed:
  • John A. Maluccio
  • John Hoddinott
  • Jere R. Behrman
  • Reynaldo Martorell
  • Agnes R. Quisumbing
  • Aryeh D. Stein

Abstract

Using a longitudinal survey from rural Guatemala, we examine the effect of an early childhood nutritional intervention on adult educational outcomes. An intent-to-treat model yields substantial effects of an experimental intervention that provided highly nutritious food supplements to children, a quarter century after it ended: increases of 1.2 grades completed for women and one quarter SD on standardised reading comprehension and non-verbal cognitive ability tests for both women and men. Two-stage least squares results that endogenise the actual supplement intakes corroborate these magnitudes. Improving the nutrient intakes of very young children can have substantial, long-term, educational consequences. Copyright © The Author(s). Journal compilation © Royal Economic Society 2009.

Suggested Citation

  • John A. Maluccio & John Hoddinott & Jere R. Behrman & Reynaldo Martorell & Agnes R. Quisumbing & Aryeh D. Stein, 2009. "The Impact of Improving Nutrition During Early Childhood on Education among Guatemalan Adults," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 119(537), pages 734-763, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:ecj:econjl:v:119:y:2009:i:537:p:734-763
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