Does Better Parental Education Improve Child Health Outcomes? Evidence from the Compulsory Schooling Law in China

Jingwei Huang

Economic Development and Cultural Change, 2025, vol. 73, issue 2, 835 - 873

Abstract: This study examines how parental education levels in China affect child health outcomes by using implementation of the Compulsory Schooling Law (CSL) to construct an instrumental variable for parental education. My first observation was that better parental education increases the incidence of a child being obese, with paternal education having a greater impact than maternal education. Second, I found that better maternal education improves child health status and reduces the incidence of a child being wasted. The exploration of potential mechanisms indicates that better education of both parents increases family income and chances of positive assortative mating; better paternal education increases grandparental care; and better maternal education increases mothers’ own health status. The results confirm a causal effect of parental education on child health outcomes, indicate that previous studies underestimate the role that fathers play in a family, and suggest the need for improvement in child-rearing methods and the conception of a healthy lifestyle.

Date: 2025
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