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Anemia and student's educational performance in rural Central China: Prevalence, correlates and impacts

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  • Li, Lili
  • Huang, Lei
  • Shi, Yaojiang
  • Luo, Renfu
  • Yang, Meredith
  • Rozelle, Scott

Abstract

Anemia in children impairs physical growth and cognitive development, reducing their overall human capital accumulation. While much research has been conducted on anemia prevalence in the primarily poor and rural western provinces in China, little is known about anemia in the more developed provinces of central China. The overall goal of this study is to assess the extent of anemia in central China and determine the effect of anemia on the academic performance of students. Using data collected from fourth grade students in 25 primary schools, we find that 16–27% of sample children are anemic. Female students and students with mothers who have not migrated for work are more likely to be anemic. Importantly, using both regression analysis and matching methods, we find that students with anemia (and those with low hemoglobin levels) are more likely to perform poorly on standardized mathematics exams. These findings suggest that, over the long term, untreated anemia will perpetuate poverty by restricting the human capital development of affected children.

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  • Li, Lili & Huang, Lei & Shi, Yaojiang & Luo, Renfu & Yang, Meredith & Rozelle, Scott, 2018. "Anemia and student's educational performance in rural Central China: Prevalence, correlates and impacts," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 283-293.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:chieco:v:51:y:2018:i:c:p:283-293
    DOI: 10.1016/j.chieco.2017.07.006
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    2. von Grafenstein, Liza & Kumar, Abhijeet & Kumar, Santosh & Vollmer, Sebastian, 2021. "Impacts of Double-Fortified Salt on Anemia and Cognition: Four-Year Follow-up Evidence from a School-Based Nutrition Intervention in India," IZA Discussion Papers 14627, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Bing Xu & William A.V. Clark & Eric Fong & Li Gan, 2020. "Introduction to the special collection on life course decisions of families in China," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 43(5), pages 129-142.
    4. Zixuan He & Xiangming Fang & Nathan Rose & Xiaodong Zheng & Scott Rozelle, 2021. "Rural minimum living standard guarantee (rural Dibao) program boosts children's education outcomes in rural China," China Agricultural Economic Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 13(1), pages 54-77, January.
    5. Tianli Feng & Xiyuan Jia & Lucy Pappas & Xiaojun Zheng & Teresa Shao & Letao Sun & Charlie Weisberg & Madeline Lu Li & Scott Rozelle & Yue Ma, 2022. "Academic Performance and the Link with Depressive Symptoms among Rural Han and Minority Chinese Adolescents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(10), pages 1-20, May.
    6. Huan Zhou & Ruixue Ye & Sean Sylvia & Nathan Rose & Scott Rozelle, 2020. "“At three years of age, we can see the future”: Cognitive skills and the life cycle of rural Chinese children," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 43(7), pages 169-182.
    7. Xiaodong Zheng & Shuangyue Shangguan & Zheng Shen & Hualei Yang, 2023. "Social Pensions and Children’s Educational Outcomes: The Case of New Rural Pension Scheme in China," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 44(2), pages 502-521, June.

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