Can conditional cash transfers improve maternal health care? Evidence from El Salvador's Comunidades Solidarias Rurales program

There is growing evidence on positive human capital impacts of large, poverty‐focused cash transfer programs. However, evidence is inconclusive on whether cash transfer programs affect maternal health outcomes, and if so, through which pathways. We use a regression discontinuity design with an impli...

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Main Authors: de Brauw, Alan, Peterman, Amber
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: John Wiley & Sons 2020
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/142623
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author de Brauw, Alan
Peterman, Amber
author_browse Peterman, Amber
de Brauw, Alan
author_facet de Brauw, Alan
Peterman, Amber
author_sort de Brauw, Alan
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description There is growing evidence on positive human capital impacts of large, poverty‐focused cash transfer programs. However, evidence is inconclusive on whether cash transfer programs affect maternal health outcomes, and if so, through which pathways. We use a regression discontinuity design with an implicit threshold to evaluate the impact of Comunidades Solidarias Rurales in El Salvador on four maternal health service utilization outcomes: (a) prenatal care; (b) skilled attendance at birth; (c) birth in health facilities; and (d) postnatal care. We find robust impacts on outcomes at the time of birth but not on prenatal and postnatal care. In addition to income effects, supply‐side health service improvements and gains in women's agency may have played a role in realizing these gains. With growing inequalities in maternal health outcomes globally, results contribute to an understanding of how financial incentives can address health systems and financial barriers that prevent poor women from seeking and receiving care at critical periods for both maternal and infant health.
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spelling CGSpace1426232025-02-24T06:48:10Z Can conditional cash transfers improve maternal health care? Evidence from El Salvador's Comunidades Solidarias Rurales program de Brauw, Alan Peterman, Amber maternal and child health regression analysis health child health social protection children cash transfers rural areas women There is growing evidence on positive human capital impacts of large, poverty‐focused cash transfer programs. However, evidence is inconclusive on whether cash transfer programs affect maternal health outcomes, and if so, through which pathways. We use a regression discontinuity design with an implicit threshold to evaluate the impact of Comunidades Solidarias Rurales in El Salvador on four maternal health service utilization outcomes: (a) prenatal care; (b) skilled attendance at birth; (c) birth in health facilities; and (d) postnatal care. We find robust impacts on outcomes at the time of birth but not on prenatal and postnatal care. In addition to income effects, supply‐side health service improvements and gains in women's agency may have played a role in realizing these gains. With growing inequalities in maternal health outcomes globally, results contribute to an understanding of how financial incentives can address health systems and financial barriers that prevent poor women from seeking and receiving care at critical periods for both maternal and infant health. 2020-03-01 2024-05-22T12:10:46Z 2024-05-22T12:10:46Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/142623 en https://hdl.handle.net/10568/153347 https://hdl.handle.net/10568/152610 Open Access John Wiley & Sons de Brauw, Alan; and Peterman, Amber. 2020. Can conditional cash transfers improve maternal health care? Evidence from El Salvador's Comunidades Solidarias Rurales program. Health Economics 29(6): 700-715. https://doi.org/10.1002/hec.4012
spellingShingle maternal and child health
regression analysis
health
child health
social protection
children
cash transfers
rural areas
women
de Brauw, Alan
Peterman, Amber
Can conditional cash transfers improve maternal health care? Evidence from El Salvador's Comunidades Solidarias Rurales program
title Can conditional cash transfers improve maternal health care? Evidence from El Salvador's Comunidades Solidarias Rurales program
title_full Can conditional cash transfers improve maternal health care? Evidence from El Salvador's Comunidades Solidarias Rurales program
title_fullStr Can conditional cash transfers improve maternal health care? Evidence from El Salvador's Comunidades Solidarias Rurales program
title_full_unstemmed Can conditional cash transfers improve maternal health care? Evidence from El Salvador's Comunidades Solidarias Rurales program
title_short Can conditional cash transfers improve maternal health care? Evidence from El Salvador's Comunidades Solidarias Rurales program
title_sort can conditional cash transfers improve maternal health care evidence from el salvador s comunidades solidarias rurales program
topic maternal and child health
regression analysis
health
child health
social protection
children
cash transfers
rural areas
women
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/142623
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