An analysis of child health in the Philippines

Abstract

Using data from a low income region in the Philippines, the paper studies the socio-economic influences on the health of surviving children. Care is taken to avoid bias through the use of reduced form estimation. Endogenous choice variables are excluded from the analysis. Three anthropometric indicators, height-for-age, weight-forheight, and arm circumference-for-age, are used with hemoglobin as proxies for the underlying health of children. Income is shown to play an important role in the determination of child health, as is parental education. Community variables influence child health as well.