TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects of Long-Term Malnutrition on Education Outcomes in Ghana
T2 - Evidence from a Panel Study
AU - Osei, Robert D.
AU - Lambon-Quayefio, Monica P.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI).
PY - 2022/2
Y1 - 2022/2
N2 - Aside the direct effect on GDP at the macro level, the microeconomic impacts of undernutrition are also manifested in lower educational outcomes, reduced productivity and reduced lifetime earnings. This study sought to examine the effect of child malnutrition on learning outcomes by exploiting a nationally representative panel data which allow us to control for child-level unobserved heterogeneity in Ghana. Using a random-effects and Poisson estimations, this study shows that while current malnutrition affects children’s learning outcomes negatively, its effect may disappear in the future, especially with the implementation of appropriate interventions. The study concludes that while nutrition matters for learning outcomes, so do other educational inputs. Results are, however, differentiated by individual and household characteristics, including gender and locality. The evidence from this study serves as a useful tool for improving policies and programmes that focus on early feeding practices among pre-schoolers and improved nutrition of children of school-going age.
AB - Aside the direct effect on GDP at the macro level, the microeconomic impacts of undernutrition are also manifested in lower educational outcomes, reduced productivity and reduced lifetime earnings. This study sought to examine the effect of child malnutrition on learning outcomes by exploiting a nationally representative panel data which allow us to control for child-level unobserved heterogeneity in Ghana. Using a random-effects and Poisson estimations, this study shows that while current malnutrition affects children’s learning outcomes negatively, its effect may disappear in the future, especially with the implementation of appropriate interventions. The study concludes that while nutrition matters for learning outcomes, so do other educational inputs. Results are, however, differentiated by individual and household characteristics, including gender and locality. The evidence from this study serves as a useful tool for improving policies and programmes that focus on early feeding practices among pre-schoolers and improved nutrition of children of school-going age.
KW - Cognitive skills
KW - Ghana
KW - Learning outcomes
KW - Malnutrition
KW - Random effects
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85099296830&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1057/s41287-020-00350-4
DO - 10.1057/s41287-020-00350-4
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85099296830
SN - 0957-8811
VL - 34
JO - European Journal of Development Research
JF - European Journal of Development Research
IS - 1
ER -