Incorrect knowledge of the health production function may lead to inefficient household choices and thereby suboptimal levels health. This paper studies effects a randomized intervention in rural Malawi that, over six-month period, provided mothers young infants with information on child nutrition without supplying any monetary or in-kind resources. A simple model first investigates theoretically how other including labor supply change response improved observed areas. We then show...

This paper examines the impacts of emergency cash-transfers on individuals' social distancing behaviour and beliefs about COVID-19. We focus "Auxilio Emergencial" (AE): a large-scale cash-transfer in Brazil targeting low-income individuals who were unemployed or informally employed during pandemic. To identify causal effects we exploit exogenous variation, arising from AE design, access to programme. Using data an online survey, our results suggest that eligibility cash transfer led reduced...

Abstract Understanding whether and how connections between agents (networks) such as declared friendships in classrooms, transactions firms, extended family connections, influence their socio‐economic outcomes has been a growing area of research within economics. Early methods developed to identify these social effects assumed that networks had formed exogenously, were perfectly observed, both which are unlikely hold practice. A more recent literature, economics other disciplines, develops...

We exploit novel data collected within a randomized controlled trial of sanitation microcredit intervention to study how intra-household gender differences in perceptions costs and benefits impact investment decisions. show that – as long the wife is involved household decision-making we document influence borrowing investments: uptake loan higher among households where has benefit perception, whereas successful conversion toilet depends on monetary cost perceptions. The estimated effects...

Imperfect capital markets and commitment problems impede lumpy human investments. Labeled loans have been postulated as a potential solution to both constraints, but little is known about the role of label in influencing investment choices practice. We draw on cluster randomized controlled trial rural India test predictions from theoretical model, providing novel evidence that labeled microcredit effective household borrowing decisions increasing take-up investment, toilet.

Objective Parents may rely on information provided by extended family members when making decisions concerning the health of their children. We evaluate whether affected success an intervention promoting infant health. Methods This is a secondary, sequential mixed-methods study based cluster randomised controlled trial peer-led home-education conducted in Mchinji District, Malawi. used linear multivariate regression to test impact child height-for-age z-scores (HAZ) was influenced members....

In many contexts we may be interested in understanding whether direct connections between agents, such as declared friendships a classroom or family links rural village, affect their outcomes.In this paper review the literature studying econometric methods for analysis of social networks.We begin by providing common framework models effects, class that includes 'linear-in-means' local average model, aggregate and where network statistics outcomes.We discuss identification these using both...

Incorrect knowledge of the health production function may lead to inefficient household choices and thereby suboptimal levels health. This paper studies effects a randomized intervention in rural Malawi that, over six-month period, provided mothers young infants with information on child nutrition without supplying any monetary or in-kind resources. A simple model first investigates theoretically how other including labor supply change response improved observed areas. We then show...

This paper studies the relationship between group size and informal risk sharing. It shows that under limited commitment with coalitional deviations, this is theoretically ambiguous. investigates question empirically using data on sibship of household heads spouses from rural Malawi, exploiting a social norm among main sample ethnic to define potential risk‐sharing group. We uncover evidence worse sharing crop losses in larger groups, rule out alternative explanations for findings. A simple...

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

We estimate flexible child health production functions to investigate whether better water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) practices make nutrition intake more productive for children aged 6-24 months.Using Filipino cohort data a control function approach, we show that WASH are complements in the formation of height weight.The productivities these inputs vary with gender: nutritional is boys, while investments girls.Nutritional conditions faced by sample similar those currently encountered...