The long-term impacts of breastfeeding on educational attainment of adults

Md Mohsan Khudri () and Andrew Hussey
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Md Mohsan Khudri: Austin College
Andrew Hussey: University of Memphis

Review of Economics of the Household, 2025, vol. 23, issue 4, No 5, 1279-1300

Abstract: Abstract Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, we examine the impact of breastfeeding on the likelihood of obtaining a college degree and attending graduate school. Using a doubly robust estimation technique, we find that having been breastfed is linked to an increased probability of obtaining a college degree, but its association with graduate school attendance is largely insignificant. The effect on college degree attainment is primarily concentrated among males, blacks, and whites. Investigating potential mechanisms, we find evidence that part of these effects is operating through the impact of breastfeeding on adolescents’ cognitive ability.

Keywords: Breastfeeding; Educational attainment; Human capital; Doubly robust estimation; College degree; Graduate school attendance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C21 I12 I18 I23 J15 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1007/s11150-025-09798-x

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