Helpful Grandparents? A Study of the Effect of Grandparental Care on Child Survival in Nigeria
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2023-07-11
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en
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This paper examines child survival outcomes using data from the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS7) conducted in Nigeria. The analysis focuses on a sample of 7,116 children born in 2012 and employs event history analysis. The findings highlight the influence of grandparental care on child survival. Specifically, the study reveals that the Grandmother Effect, where the presence of a grandmother in the household positively affects child survival, becomes apparent only after the age of two in both data samples. Before this age, living with a grandmother is associated with a higher risk of child mortality, supporting the local resource competition hypothesis. Moreover, although the presence of a grandfather in the household demonstrates a potential protective effect on child survival, this effect does not attain statistical significance. Furthermore, the study uncovers a gender disparity in the impact of grandparents on child survival, with grandparents exhibiting a more pronounced positive influence on the survival of boys compared to girls. These findings shed light on the importance of grandparents in child survival and well-being. The study emphasizes the necessity of reconsidering the timing of grandparental care and the gender-specific effects in future research and policy interventions.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen