Year: 2024
Type: preprint
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: This paper studies the impact of granting formal legal protection to children on their health by studying the impact of the Child Rights Act in Nigeria. Using a Difference in Differences model that is robust to the staggered adoption of this reform across states, I show that granting formal protection to children leads to a reduction in stunting and has limited positive effects on vaccinations. I provide suggestive evidence that the mechanism behind these results is a change in the demand of care by parents. These findings suggest that secular laws which grant protection improve outcomes for children in a society where harmful traditions persist.
Source: SocArXiv (OSF Preprints)
Author: Hamad Mahar
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W4391281426