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Is teenage motherhood contagious? Evidence from a Natural Experiment

Author

Listed:
  • Monstad, Karin

    (University of Bergen)

  • Propper, Carol

    (University of Bristol)

  • Salvanes, Kjell G.

    (Dept. of Economics, Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration)

Abstract

There is relatively little research on peer effects in teenage motherhood despite the fact that peer effects, and in particular social interaction within the family, are likely to be important. We estimate the impact of an elder sister’s teenage fertility on the teenage childbearing of their younger sister. To identify the peer effect we utilize an educational reform that impacted on the elder sister’s teenage fertility. Our main result is that within families, teen births tend to be contagious and the effect is larger where siblings are close in age and for women from low resource households.

Suggested Citation

  • Monstad, Karin & Propper, Carol & Salvanes, Kjell G., 2011. "Is teenage motherhood contagious? Evidence from a Natural Experiment," Discussion Paper Series in Economics 12/2011, Norwegian School of Economics, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:nhheco:2011_012
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Maria De Paola & Roberto Nisticò & Vincenzo Scoppa, 2024. "Workplace Peer Effects in Fertility Decisions," CSEF Working Papers 714, Centre for Studies in Economics and Finance (CSEF), University of Naples, Italy.
    2. Cheti Nicoletti & Birgitta Rabe, 2019. "Sibling spillover effects in school achievement," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 34(4), pages 482-501, June.
    3. Gordon B. Dahl & Katrine V. L?ken & Magne Mogstad, 2014. "Peer Effects in Program Participation," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 104(7), pages 2049-2074, July.
    4. Kamila Cygan-Rehm & Regina T. Riphahn, 2014. "Teenage pregnancies and births in Germany: patterns and developments," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(28), pages 3503-3522, October.
    5. Marcén, Miriam & Bellido, Héctor, 2013. "Teen Mothers and Culture," MPRA Paper 44712, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Paul Bingley & Petter Lundborg & Stéphanie Vincent Lyk-Jensen, 2021. "Brothers in Arms: Spillovers from a Draft Lottery," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 56(1), pages 225-268.
    7. Rannveig Kaldager Hart & Sara Cools, 2017. "Identifying fertility contagion using random fertility shocks," Discussion Papers 861, Statistics Norway, Research Department.
    8. Anand, Priyanka & Kahn, Lisa B., 2024. "The effect of a peer’s teen pregnancy on sexual behavior," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 96(C).
    9. Cheti Nicoletti & Kjell G. Salvanes & Emma Tominey, 2018. "The Family Peer Effect on Mothers' Labor Supply," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 10(3), pages 206-234, July.
    10. Ana Balsa & Carlos Díaz, 2018. "Social interactions in health behaviors and conditions," Documentos de Trabajo/Working Papers 1802, Facultad de Ciencias Empresariales y Economia. Universidad de Montevideo..
    11. Anne Mari Fredriksen & Anne Lyberg & Elisabeth Severinsson, 2012. "Health supervision of young women during pregnancy and early motherhood: A Norwegian qualitative study," Nursing & Health Sciences, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 14(3), pages 325-331, September.
    12. Rannveig Hart & Sara Cools, 2019. "Identifying interaction effects using random fertility shocks," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 40(10), pages 261-278.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Teenage pregnancy; spillover effects; education.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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