Impact and spill-over effects of an asset transfer program on child undernutrition: Evidence from a randomized control trial in Bangladesh

Wameq Raza, Ellen Van de Poel and Tom Van Ourti

Journal of Health Economics, 2018, vol. 62, issue C, 105-120

Abstract: Targeting the Ultra-poor (TUP) is an integrated programme that combines the transfer of income-generating assets and multifaceted training on entrepreneurship, health-nutrition, and social awareness over a two-year period to graduate ultra-poor with mainstream poverty. While positive socioeconomic effects and spill-over effects are well-documented, this is the first paper to evaluate the effects of the programme on nutritional outcomes of under-5 children using data from a randomized control trial over a four-year period. We find notable improvements in nutritional outcomes of children in participating households. TUP is further seen to improve food-security, sanitation and duration of exclusive-breastfeeding. Nutrition status of children living in poor non-participant households are also positively affected though no effects were found on children from non-poor households. We conclude that programmes that combine asset transfer with multifaceted training such as TUP can have significant long-term positive health effects.

Keywords: Child nutrition; Cash-transfer program; Randomized control trial; Spill-over effects; Ultra-poverty; Bangladesh; Graduation approach (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I13 I32 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jhecon:v:62:y:2018:i:c:p:105-120

DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2018.09.011

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