Birth Order, Parental Health Investment, and Health in Childhood

Gerald Pruckner, Nicole Schneeweis, Thomas Schober and Martina Zweimüller

No 12774, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the relationship between birth order, health at birth and in childhood, and parental health investment using administrative data from Austria. We find significant birth order effects on health at birth and in primary school. These effects are positive, in that later-born siblings are healthier than the first-born child, and increase with birth order. Consequently, first-born children are more likely to consume medical drugs and to utilize medical services. We also find differences in parental health investment. First-born children are more likely to receive preventive medical care and immunization against measles, mumps, and rubella.

Keywords: health care utilization; health in childhood; health at birth; parental health behavior; parental health investment; birth order; vaccinations (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I10 I12 I14 J12 J13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 48 pages
Date: 2019-11
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-eur
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Published - published in: Journal of Health Economics, 2021, 76, 102426

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https://docs.iza.org/dp12774.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
Journal Article: Birth order, parental health investment, and health in childhood (2021)
Working Paper: Birth Order, Parental Health Investment, and Health in Childhood (2019)
Working Paper: Birth Order, Parental Health Investment, and Health in Childhood (2019)
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