Detailed Geographic Information, Conflict Exposure, and Health Impacts

45 Pages Posted: 7 Nov 2016 Last revised: 20 Aug 2022

See all articles by Richard Akresh

Richard Akresh

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; IZA Institute of Labor Economics

Germán Caruso

World Bank; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - Department of Economics

Harsha Thirumurthy

University of Pennsylvania - Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy

Abstract

We estimate the impact of exposure to conflict on health outcomes using geographic information on households' distance from conflict sites – a more accurate measure of shock exposure – and compare the impact on children exposed in utero versus after birth. The identification strategy relies on exogenous variation in the conflict's geographic extent and timing. Conflict-exposed children have lower height-for-age, and impacts using GPS information are 2-3 times larger than if exposure is measured at the imprecise regional level. Results are robust to addressing endogenous migration. Health service disruptions and maternal stressors are potential explanations for the negative health effects on children.

Keywords: fetal origins hypothesis, conflict, child health, Africa

JEL Classification: I12, J13, O12

Suggested Citation

Akresh, Richard and Caruso, German and Thirumurthy, Harsha, Detailed Geographic Information, Conflict Exposure, and Health Impacts. IZA Discussion Paper No. 10330, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2864831

Richard Akresh (Contact Author)

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ( email )

601 E John St
Champaign, IL Champaign 61820
United States

IZA Institute of Labor Economics

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

German Caruso

World Bank ( email )

1818 H Street, NW
Washington, DC 20433
United States

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - Department of Economics ( email )

410 David Kinley Hall
1407 W. Gregory
Urbana, IL 61801
United States

Harsha Thirumurthy

University of Pennsylvania - Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy ( email )

423 Guardian Dr
Philadelphia, PA 19104
United States

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