Three essays on the economics of health in developing countries.

This dissertation empirically studies health issues of policy importance in non-industrialized countries. Chapter 1. The intra-household allocation of nutrients in China. Previous studies find that human capital investments in boys are less income elastic than investments in girls, attributing this result to favoritism toward boys. I show theoretically that it is plausible for more productive or favored household members to have higher income elasticities. I then investigate this question empirically, utilizing panel data on individual nutrient intake to analyze how changes in household per-capita nutrient intake affect the intra-household allocation of nutrients. To deal with potential biases due to omitted variables and simultaneity, I use measures of rainfall variation as instruments. I find that nutritional intakes are more elastic for males (especially prima-age men) than for females, and less elastic for the elderly. Chapter 2. The impact of health insurance on elderly physician visits in Taiwan. Using four waves of panel data that span the introduction of national health insurance, I calculate difference-in-difference estimates of the effect of insurance on whether the elderly make any visit to doctors and the number of visits conditional on visiting a doctor. I find that four years after the universal coverage, insurance had no effect on the probability of having at least one physician visit, although it increased conditional physician visits by 29%. I also find that factors such as pent-up demand and congestion of medical facilities may have affected the magnitudes and timing of insurance effects. Chapter 3. The effect of water accessibility on child health in China. Using panel data, the effect of access to clean water on child health is measured incorporating child fixed effects for the first time. To deal with possible bias caused by unobserved changes in household circumstances, we use a subset of sample children whose water access was likely affected by external projects rather than households' own demand. To deal with dynamic confounding factors at the community level, we make use of community fixed effects. We find that having access to clean water within the yard of one's house improves child health.Ph.D.Agricultural economicsEconomicsGerontologyHealth and Environmental SciencesLabor economicsNutritionPublic healthSocial SciencesUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/125157/2/3186700.pd

The effect of water accessibility on child health in China

Using a dynamic panel model of child anthropometrics from China, the effect of an in-yard water source on child health was measured. Changes in within-community averages of household access to in-yard water were used as the instrument for changes in access to in-yard water sources. Further, to address the concern of non-random placements of water projects, correlations between changes in disease symptoms and community-level changes in access to in-yard water sources were examined. It was found that access to in-yard water sources improved child health only when mothers were relatively well educated.

Who benefits more from higher household consumption? The intra-household allocation of nutrients in China

Previous studies find that human capital investments in boys are less income elastic than investments in girls, attributing this result to favoritism toward boys. I show theoretically that it is plausible for more productive or favored household members to have higher income elasticities. I then investigate this question empirically, utilizing panel data on individual nutrient intake from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) to analyze how changes in household per-capita nutrient intake affect the intra-household allocation of nutrients. To deal with potential biases due to omitted variables and simultaneity, I use measures of rainfall variation as instruments. I find that nutritional intakes are more elastic for males (especially prime-age men) than for females, and significantly less elastic for the elderly.

Relative Deprivation and Health: Which Reference Groups Matter?

We examine the extent to which self-reported health and psycho-social health are affected by relative economic status in China, for the first time examining the importance of reference groups not defined by geographic location or demographic characteristics. We propose a methodology to address potential bias from subjective reporting biases and control for unobserved community characteristics. Analyzing a nationally representative dataset from China, our findings support the relative deprivation hypothesis and suggest that relatives and classmates are salient reference groups for urban residents and neighbors are important for rural residents

The Relationship between Subjective Well-Being and Objective Wealth: A Case in Indonesia

This thesis investigates what makes Indonesian people feel richer and happier with their life. It examines the relationship between subjective well-being and objective indicators of wealth in three different age groups. The main explanatory variable is objective wealth, captured by log of per capita expenditure. Subjective well-being as the dependent variable uses two proxies: subjective wealth and happiness. The results showed consistency with previous studies, despite slight differences across different age groups in terms of coefficient magnitudes. All age groups showed similar determinants for subjective well-being. Higher expenditure and higher education stimulate people to feel richer and happier. Married couple, women and household with larger number of family members also reported a higher level of subjective wealth and happiness. Higher expenditure is strongly inducing people to feel richer but not instantly drive people�s happiness. It has significant effect on happiness but not as strong as its effect on subjective wealth