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Nutrition Knowledge and Parental Schooling as Inputs to Child Nutrition in the Long and Short Run

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  • Patrick Webb
  • Steven Block

Abstract

Drawing on a large household survey in rural Central Java, Indonesia, we address the functional distinction between formal education and nutrition knowledge. Applying parametric and nonparametric techniques to household data from rural Indonesia the study finds that: 1) Mothers' nutrition knowledge has a strong, positive impact on child nutrition in the short-term (weight-forheight), controlling for mother's education and income; 2) by contrast, formal schooling dominates nutrition knowledge in determining child anthropometric outcomes in the longer run (height-for-age); 3) to the extent that maternal education contributes to shorter-run child outcomes its effects are meditated through nutrition knowledge; and, 4) paternal education contributes independently to long-run (but not short-run) child nutrition. The results suggest a potentially large role for nutrition education in combating child malnutrition in poor countries with limited schooling infrastructure and/or limited access to education by the very poor.

Suggested Citation

  • Patrick Webb & Steven Block, 2003. "Nutrition Knowledge and Parental Schooling as Inputs to Child Nutrition in the Long and Short Run," Working Papers in Food Policy and Nutrition 21, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy.
    • Handle: RePEc:fsn:wpaper:21
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Rolando Morales & Ana María Aguilar & Alvaro Calzadilla, 2005. "Undernutrition in Bolivia: Geography and Culture Matter," Research Department Publications 3185, Inter-American Development Bank, Research Department.
    2. Gracious M. Diiro & Abdoul G. Sam & David Kraybill, 2017. "Heterogeneous Effects of Maternal Labor Market Participation on the Nutritional Status of Children: Empirical Evidence from Rural India," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 10(3), pages 609-632, September.
    3. Rita Fosu-Brefo & Eric Arthur, 2015. "Effect of timely initiation of breastfeeding on child health in Ghana," Health Economics Review, Springer, vol. 5(1), pages 1-8, December.
    4. Shandana Dar & Uzma Afzal, 2015. "Education and Maternal Health in Pakistan: The Pathways of Influence," Lahore Journal of Economics, Department of Economics, The Lahore School of Economics, vol. 20(2), pages 1-34, July-Dec.
    5. Rolando Morales & Ana María Aguilar & Alvaro Calzadilla, 2005. "Desnutrición en Bolivia: la geografía y la cultura sí importan," Research Department Publications 3186, Inter-American Development Bank, Research Department.
    6. Francesco Burchi, 2009. "On the Contribution of Mother’s Education to Children’s Nutritional Capabilities in Mozambique," Departmental Working Papers of Economics - University 'Roma Tre' 0101, Department of Economics - University Roma Tre.
    7. Helen Abadzi, 2006. "Efficient Learning for the Poor : Insights from the Frontier of Cognitive Neuroscience," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 7023.
    8. Djimeu, Eric W., 2014. "The impact of social action funds on child health in a conflict affected country: Evidence from Angola," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 35-42.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Child nutrition; health;

    JEL classification:

    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development

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