Let me inform you of the following research seminar.

Date: October 26 (Thu.) , 2023
Time: 3:30PM - 5:00PM
Venue: 11th Floor, Bldg.No.2 Meeting Room B & ZOOM (HyFlex)
Speaker:  Dung Le(Keio University)
Organizer: Takuya Hasebe
Language: English

Title: The Effects of Child Marriage Bans on Child Mortality: Evidence From Quasi-Experiment Designs in Developing Countries

Abstract: This study investigates the effects of child marriage bans on first-born child mortality in developing countries. Our difference-in-differences strategy relies on two sources of variation: variation in the timing of the bans in each country and subnational regional differences in “treatment intensity,” which we define based on the prevalence of and average age among child marriages prior to the ban. Using a sample of over 200,000 women drawn from the Demographic and Health Surveys in 18 countries, we find that child marriage bans reduced infant, under-5 and any child mortality, with magnitudes of 13.2, 18.2 and 21.6 percent corresponding to a one standard deviation change in treatment intensity. We also find that the effects were heterogenous: low-income countries, less wealthy individuals, and boys benefited the most. Investigating the underlying mechanisms, we find that delays in age at first birth and at first sex, access to family planning information, improved antenatal care and better nutritional practices were all affected by the bans. Our findings imply that banning child marriage has positive health benefits for the next generation.

* Please contact the organizer via email, if you'd like to participate in the online seminar.
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