IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/iza/izadps/dp16270.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Universal Investments in Toddler Health. Learning from a Large Government Trial

Author

Listed:
  • Baker, Jennifer L.
  • Bjerregaard, Lise G.
  • Dahl, Christian M.

    (University of Southern Denmark)

  • Johansen, Torben S. D.

    (University of Southern Denmark)

  • Sørensen, Emil N.

    (University of Bristol)

  • Wüst, Miriam

    (University of Copenhagen)

Abstract

Exploiting a 1960s government trial in Copenhagen, we study the long-run and inter-generational effects of preventive care for toddlers. We combine administrative data with handwritten nurse records to document universal treatment take-up and positive health effects for treated children over the life course. Beneficial health impacts are largest for disadvantaged children and may even extend to their offspring. While initial trial cohorts experienced positive health and socioeconomic impacts, those are absent for the final cohorts. This heterogeneity across individuals' background and cohorts documents that universal toddler care can alleviate inequalities at low costs, and that the counterfactual policy environment matters.

Suggested Citation

  • Baker, Jennifer L. & Bjerregaard, Lise G. & Dahl, Christian M. & Johansen, Torben S. D. & Sørensen, Emil N. & Wüst, Miriam, 2023. "Universal Investments in Toddler Health. Learning from a Large Government Trial," IZA Discussion Papers 16270, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp16270
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://docs.iza.org/dp16270.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Douglas Almond & Janet Currie & Valentina Duque, 2018. "Childhood Circumstances and Adult Outcomes: Act II," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 56(4), pages 1360-1446, December.
    2. Patrick Kline & Christopher R. Walters, 2016. "Evaluating Public Programs with Close Substitutes: The Case of HeadStart," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 131(4), pages 1795-1848.
    3. Jeffrey R Kling & Jeffrey B Liebman & Lawrence F Katz, 2007. "Experimental Analysis of Neighborhood Effects," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 75(1), pages 83-119, January.
    4. Janet Currie & Enrico Moretti, 2007. "Biology as Destiny? Short- and Long-Run Determinants of Intergenerational Transmission of Birth Weight," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 25(2), pages 231-264.
    5. Andrew C. Barr & Jonathan Eggleston & Alexander A. Smith, 2022. "Investing in Infants: The Lasting Effects of Cash Transfers to New Families," NBER Working Papers 30373, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Martha J. Bailey & Shuqiao Sun & Brenden Timpe, 2021. "Prep School for Poor Kids: The Long-Run Impacts of Head Start on Human Capital and Economic Self-Sufficiency," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 111(12), pages 3963-4001, December.
    7. Orazio P. Attanasio, 2015. "The Determinants Of Human Capital Formation During The Early Years Of Life: Theory, Measurement, And Policies," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 13(6), pages 949-997, December.
    8. Andrew Goodman-Bacon, 2018. "Public Insurance and Mortality: Evidence from Medicaid Implementation," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 126(1), pages 216-262.
    9. Laura R. Wherry & Sarah Miller & Robert Kaestner & Bruce D. Meyer, 2018. "Childhood Medicaid Coverage and Later-Life Health Care Utilization," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 100(2), pages 287-302, May.
    10. Kreiner, Claus Thustrup & Sievertsen, Hans Henrik, 2020. "Neonatal health of parents and cognitive development of children," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    11. Orazio Attanasio & Ricardo Paes de Barros & Pedro Carneiro & David K. Evans & Lycia Lima & Pedro Olinto & Norbert Schady, 2022. "Public Childcare, Labor Market Outcomes of Caregivers, and Child Development: Experimental Evidence from Brazil," NBER Working Papers 30653, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    12. Andrew Barr & Chloe R. Gibbs, 2022. "Breaking the Cycle? Intergenerational Effects of an Antipoverty Program in Early Childhood," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 130(12), pages 3253-3285.
    13. Heckman, James J. & Moon, Seong Hyeok & Pinto, Rodrigo & Savelyev, Peter A. & Yavitz, Adam, 2010. "The rate of return to the HighScope Perry Preschool Program," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(1-2), pages 114-128, February.
    14. Sonia Bhalotra & Martin Karlsson & Therese Nilsson, 2017. "Infant Health and Longevity: Evidence from A Historical Intervention in Sweden," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 15(5), pages 1101-1157.
    15. Chloe N. East & Sarah Miller & Marianne Page & Laura R. Wherry, 2023. "Multigenerational Impacts of Childhood Access to the Safety Net: Early Life Exposure to Medicaid and the Next Generation's Health," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 113(1), pages 98-135, January.
    16. Andrew Barr & Jonathan Eggleston & Alexander A Smith, 2022. "Investing in Infants: the Lasting Effects of Cash Transfers to New Families [“The Long-Run Impact of Cash Transfers to Poor Families,”]," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 137(4), pages 2539-2583.
    17. Lauren Hoehn-Velasco, 2021. "The Long-term Impact of Preventative Public Health Programs," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 131(634), pages 797-826.
    18. Jonas Hjort & Mikkel Sølvsten & Miriam Wüst, 2017. "Universal Investment in Infants and Long-Run Health: Evidence from Denmark's 1937 Home Visiting Program," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 9(4), pages 78-104, October.
    19. Maya Rossin-Slater & Miriam Wüst, 2020. "What Is the Added Value of Preschool for Poor Children? Long-Term and Intergenerational Impacts and Interactions with an Infant Health Intervention," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 12(3), pages 255-286, July.
    20. Hilary Hoynes & Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach & Douglas Almond, 2016. "Long-Run Impacts of Childhood Access to the Safety Net," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 106(4), pages 903-934, April.
    21. Martha J. Bailey & Connor Cole & Morgan Henderson & Catherine Massey, 2020. "How Well Do Automated Linking Methods Perform? Lessons from US Historical Data," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 58(4), pages 997-1044, December.
    22. Wüst, Miriam, 2012. "Early interventions and infant health: Evidence from the Danish home visiting program," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 19(4), pages 484-495.
    23. Andrew Barr & Alexander A. Smith, 2023. "Fighting Crime in the Cradle: The Effects of Early Childhood Access to Nutritional Assistance," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 58(1), pages 43-73.
    24. Clive R Belfield & Milagros Nores & Steve Barnett & Lawrence Schweinhart, 2006. "The High/Scope Perry Preschool Program: Cost–Benefit Analysis Using Data from the Age-40 Followup," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 41(1).
    25. Noghanibehambari, Hamid, 2022. "Intergenerational health effects of Medicaid," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 45(C).
    26. John Anders & Andrew C. Barr & Alexander A. Smith, 2023. "The Effect of Early Childhood Education on Adult Criminality: Evidence from the 1960s through 1990s," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 15(1), pages 37-69, February.
    27. Sarah Miller & Laura R. Wherry, 2019. "The Long-Term Effects of Early Life Medicaid Coverage," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 54(3), pages 785-824.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Gabriella Conti, 2013. "The Developmental Origins of Health Inequality," Research on Economic Inequality, in: Health and Inequality, volume 21, pages 285-309, Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
    2. Nicardo S. McInnis & Katherine Michelmore & Natasha Pilkauskas, 2023. "The Intergenerational Transmission of Poverty and Public Assistance: Evidence from the Earned Income Tax Credit," NBER Working Papers 31429, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Jorge Luis García & James J. Heckman, 2023. "Parenting Promotes Social Mobility Within and Across Generations," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 15(1), pages 349-388, September.
    4. Noghanibehambari, Hamid, 2022. "Intergenerational health effects of Medicaid," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 45(C).
    5. Hull, Marie C. & Yan, Ji, 2024. "The Impact of Children's Access to Public Health Insurance on Their Cognitive Development and Behavior," IZA Discussion Papers 17190, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Torben S. D. Johansen, 2024. "Optimal Treatment Allocation under Constraints," Papers 2404.18268, arXiv.org.
    7. Britta Rude, 2024. "Middle-run educational impacts of comprehensive early childhood interventions: evidence from a pioneer program in Chile," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 37(2), pages 1-30, June.
    8. Alex Hollingsworth & Krzysztof Karbownik & Melissa A. Thomasson & Anthony Wray, 2024. "The Gift of a Lifetime: The Hospital, Modern Medicine, and Mortality," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 114(7), pages 2201-2238, July.
    9. Randall Akee & Leah R. Clark, 2023. "Universal Preschool Lottery Admissions and Its Effects on Long-Run Earnings and Outcomes," Working Papers 23-09, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
    10. Frederik H. Bennhoff & Jorge Luis García & Duncan Ermini Leaf, 2024. "The Dynastic Benefits of Early-Childhood Education: Participant Benefits and Family Spillovers," Journal of Human Capital, University of Chicago Press, vol. 18(1), pages 44-73.
    11. Hirani, Jonas Cuzulan & Sievertsen, Hans Henrik & Wüst, Miriam, 2020. "Missing a Nurse Visit," IZA Discussion Papers 13485, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
      • Miriam Wüst & Jonas Lau-Jensen Hirani & Hans Henrik Sievertsen, 2021. "Missing a Nurse Visit," CEBI working paper series 20-09, University of Copenhagen. Department of Economics. The Center for Economic Behavior and Inequality (CEBI).
    12. Huang, Wei & Liu, Hong, 2023. "Early childhood exposure to health insurance and adolescent outcomes: Evidence from rural China," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    13. Andrew Goodman-Bacon, 2016. "The Long-Run Effects of Childhood Insurance Coverage: Medicaid Implementation, Adult Health, and Labor Market Outcomes," NBER Working Papers 22899, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    14. Lauren Hoehn-Velasco & Michael F. Pesko & Serena Phillips, 2023. "The Long-Term Impact of in Utero Cigarette Taxes on Adult Prenatal Smoking," American Journal of Health Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 9(4), pages 605-648.
    15. Jonas Lau-Jensen Hirani & Hans Henrik Sievertsen & Miriam Wüst & Johannes Wohlfart, 2020. "Missing a Nurse Visit," Discussion Papers 20-09, University of Copenhagen. Department of Economics.
    16. Gong, Jie & Lu, Yi & Xie, Huihua, 2020. "The average and distributional effects of teenage adversity on long-term health," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    17. Esra Kose & Siobhan M. O'Keefe & Maria Rosales-Rueda, 2022. "Does the Delivery of Primary Health Care Improve Birth Outcomes? Evidence from the Rollout of Community Health Centers," NBER Working Papers 30047, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    18. Hema Shah & Lisa A. Gennetian, 2024. "Unconditional cash transfers for families with children in the U.S.: a scoping review," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 22(2), pages 415-450, June.
    19. Joseph Mullins, 2022. "Designing Cash Transfers in the Presence of Children's Human Capital Formation," Working Papers 2022-019, Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group.
    20. Holla,Alaka & Bendini,Maria Magdalena & Dinarte Diaz,Lelys Ileana & Trako,Iva, 2021. "Is Investment in Preprimary Education Too Low ? Lessons from (Quasi) ExperimentalEvidence across Countries," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9723, The World Bank.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    early-life investments; health; public policy; government trial; Denmark; digitization; automated transcription;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I1 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health
    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp16270. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Holger Hinte (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/izaaade.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.