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The effect of sibling size on children's health: a regression discontinuity design approach based on China's one-child policy

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  • Zhong, Hai

Abstract

A major challenge to the empirical studies on the effect of sibling size on children's health is the endogeneity of family size. The radical one-child policy implemented in 1979 in China provides us with a unique opportunity to apply a regression discontinuity design method to examine this issue, which requires much weaker assumptions than the IV approaches used in previous studies. Our results indicate that although there are statistically significant associations between sibling size and children's health, there is no evidence for the quantity–quality trade-off.

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  • Zhong, Hai, 2014. "The effect of sibling size on children's health: a regression discontinuity design approach based on China's one-child policy," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 156-165.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:chieco:v:31:y:2014:i:c:p:156-165
    DOI: 10.1016/j.chieco.2014.09.003
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    Cited by:

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    2. Hayward, Mathew & Cheng, Zhiming & Wang, Haining & Smyth, Russell, 2023. "Parental influence and the propensity for entrepreneurship: Evidence from the one-child policy," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 20(C).
    3. Gao, Yanyan & Qu, Zhaopeng, 2019. "‘More Children, More Happiness?’: New Evidence from Elderly Parents in China," GLO Discussion Paper Series 366, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
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    5. Shuai Zhao, 2023. "Family Size and Intergenerational Inequality: Evidence from China's One-child Policy," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 165(1), pages 283-307, January.
    6. Maneejuk, Paravee & Yamaka, Woraphon, 2020. "An analysis of the impacts of telecommunications technology and innovation on economic growth," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(10).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Health; Sibling size; Quantity–quality trade-off; One-child policy;
    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
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration

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