Linkages between Maternal Education and Childhood Immunization in India
Published By: India Human Development Survey | Published Date: March, 28 , 2012While correlations between maternal education and child health have been observed in diverse parts of
the world, the causal pathways explaining how maternal education improves child health remain far
from clear. Using data from the nationally representative India Human Development Survey of 2004e5,
this analysis examines four possible pathways that may mediate the influence of maternal education on
childhood immunization: greater human, social, and cultural capitals and more autonomy within the
household. Data from 5287 households in India show the familiar positive relationship between
maternal education and childhood immunization even after extensive controls for socio-demographic
characteristics and village- and neighborhood-fixed effects. Two pathways are important: human
capital (health knowledge) is an especially important advantage for mothers with primary education,
and cultural capital (communication skills) is important for mothers with some secondary education and
beyond.
Author(s): Kriti Vikram, Reeve Vanneman, Sonalde Desai | Posted on: Oct 30, 2014 | Views(574)