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Policy-related determinants of child nutritional status in China: The effect of only-child status and access to healthcare

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  • Bredenkamp, Caryn

Abstract

This paper examines the determinants of child nutritional status in China, focusing specifically on those determinants related to health system reform and only-child status. Data are drawn from four waves of the China Health and Nutrition Survey (1991-2000). The empirical relationship between nutritional status, on the one hand, and income, access to quality healthcare and being an only-child, on the other hand, is investigated using ordinary least squares (OLS), random effects (RE), fixed effects (FE) and instrumental variables (IV) models. In the preferred model - a fixed effects model where income is instrumented - we find that being an only-child increases height-for-age z-scores by 0.12 of a standard deviation. By contrast, measures of access to quality healthcare are not found to be significantly associated with improved nutritional status.

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  • Bredenkamp, Caryn, 2009. "Policy-related determinants of child nutritional status in China: The effect of only-child status and access to healthcare," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 69(10), pages 1531-1538, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:69:y:2009:i:10:p:1531-1538
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    4. Wu, Yichao & Guo, Zhenli, 2020. "An analysis of the nutritional status of left-behind children in rural China and the impact mechanisms of child malnutrition," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
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    8. Wu, Yichao, 2019. "What is known about children's undernutrition and health levels in China – An empirical analysis from 1991 to 2009," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 372-380.

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