Household Economic Well-being and Child Health in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Abstract

This paper investigates the effects of economic wellbeing of households on child health in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) using data from the Demographic and Health Survey for 2014. A series of econometric tools are used to estimate the effects. The control function approach is shown to be the most appropriate estimation method. The results show that an increase in household economic wellbeing reduces child malnutrition. It is also found that younger children are more likely to be underweight, and that birth weight is a significant determinant of nutritional status up to age five. The main policy implication of the paper is that creation of jobs and other economic opportunities would enhance child health in DRC via improvements in living conditions.