Household Responses to Information on Child Nutrition: Experimental Evidence from Malawi

47 Pages Posted: 4 Apr 2012

See all articles by Emla Fitzsimons

Emla Fitzsimons

Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS)

Bansi Malde

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Alice Mesnard

City University London

Marcos Vera-Hernández

University College London; Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS)

Date Written: March 2012

Abstract

This paper provides evidence on household responses to the relaxation of one barrier constraining adoption of health practices - lack of information - in a resource constrained setting. It examines the effects of a randomized intervention in Malawi which provides mothers with information on infant nutrition and health. It finds that the intervention results in increases in household food consumption, particularly of protein-rich foods by children. The increased household consumption is funded by increased father’s labor supply, constituting evidence that changes in the perceived child health production function affect adult labor supply. Improved consumption also results in better child health.

Keywords: cluster randomised control trial, health information, infant health

JEL Classification: D10, I15, I18, O12, O15

Suggested Citation

Fitzsimons, Emla and Malde, Bansi and Mesnard, Alice and Vera-Hernández, Marcos, Household Responses to Information on Child Nutrition: Experimental Evidence from Malawi (March 2012). CEPR Discussion Paper No. DP8915, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2034133

Emla Fitzsimons (Contact Author)

Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) ( email )

7 Ridgmount Street
London, WC1E 7AE
United Kingdom

Bansi Malde

affiliation not provided to SSRN ( email )

Alice Mesnard

City University London ( email )

Northampton Square
London, EC1V OHB
United Kingdom

Marcos Vera-Hernández

University College London ( email )

Economics Dept.
Gower Street
London, WC1E 6BT
United Kingdom
+442076791007 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://www.homepages.ucl.ac.uk/~uctpamv

Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) ( email )

7 Ridgmount Street
London, WC1E 7AE
United Kingdom

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