Migration and Child Growth in Rural Guatemala

This paper examines the relationship between migration and child growth in the rural highlands of Guatemala, a region with substantial international migration outflows, significant remittance inflows, and some of the highest rates of child undernutrition in the world. Using cross-sectional survey data, a double-difference approach based on child growth patterns that controls for the selectivity of migration is used to assess the impact of migration to the US on Height-for-Age Z (HAZ) scores and stunting prevalence of children. HAZ scores for children in households with a migrant to the US are conservatively estimated to be 0.5 standard deviations higher and the prevalence of stunting is approximately 6 percentage points lower. Descriptive evidence suggests the possible channels through which migration may operate are improved food security and reduced morbidity.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Carletto, Calogero, Covarrubias, Katia, Maluccio, John A.
Format:	Journal Article biblioteca
Language:	EN
Published:	2011
Subjects:	Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis D120, Remittances F240, Health Production I120, Demographic Trends and Forecasts, General Migration J110, Fertility, Family Planning, Child Care, INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH AREAS :: Children, Youth J130, Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development O120, Economic Development: Regional, Urban, and Rural Analyses, Transportation O180,
Online Access:	http://hdl.handle.net/10986/5495
Tags:	Add Tag No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!