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Demographers have argued increasingly that social interaction is an important mechanism for understanding fertility behavior. Yet it is still quite uncertain whether social learning or social influence is the dominant mechanism through which social networks affect individuals' contraceptive decisions. In this paper we argue that these mechanisms can be distinguished by analyzing the density of the social network and its interaction with the proportion of contraceptive users among network partners. Our analyses indicate that social learning is most relevant with high market activity; in regions with only modest market activity, however, social influence is the dominant means by which social networks affect women's contraceptive use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we estimate accelerated time-to-failure and proportional-hazard functions with about 100,000 members of the Dorn sample, finding greater hazards associated with smoking and some dependence on occupational variables that measure risk and physical activity. We answer three questions: (1) How sensitive are the estimates to sample length, using monthly data for the periods 1954-1969 and 1954-1980? The results differ somewhat between these sample periods. (2) How sensitive are the estimates to alternative functions for the hazard? Within a given time period, the estimates are fairly robust to specification changes in the distribution of the hazard in the accelerated time-to-failure models. (3) How sensitive are the estimates to alternative controls for unobserved frailty? Within a given sample period, the estimates are fairly robust to the allowance for parametric or nonparametric heterogeneity in the proportional-hazard models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An important dimension of Easterlin's seminal work on fertility is the hypothesis of intergenerational taste formation, or the relative income hypothesis. Previous estimates have not had data on income in two generations, so the estimated own-income effects may have had a downward bias. This article uses data with income from two generations to estimate the Easterlin model directly. Own income is still not positively significant. A simple single-equation test is developed to distinguish this model from a Becker intergenerational serially correlated endowments model that he claims is observationally equivalent. The test results favor the Becker formulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child quality plays a critical role in economic models of fertility and child investment. But child quality is difficult to observe empirically. Therefore, in empirical studies, child quality is frequently represented by child schooling. However, economic models of household investment in children suggest that child schooling may be a very poor or even inverse proxy for child quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Empirical studies of the diffusion of modern methods of family planning have increasingly incorporated social interaction within nonlinear models such as logits. But they have not considered the full implications of these nonlinear specifications. This paper considers the implications of using nonlinear models in empirical analyses of the impact of family programs, modulated by social interaction, on reproductive behavior. Three implications of nonlinear models, in comparison with linear models, are developed. 1) With nonlinear models, there may be both low and high contraceptive-use equilibria (i.e., the ultimate level of use of modern family planning that a population can be expected to reach after the effects of a sustained change in a family planning program have worked through the population) rather than just one equilibrium as in linear models. If there are multiple equilibria, then one striking and important result is that a transitory large program effort may move a community from sustained low- to high-level contraceptive use. 2) With nonlinear models, the extent to which a social interaction multiplies program efforts depends on whether the community is at a low or high level of contraceptive use rather than being independent of the level of contraceptive use as in linear models. 3) With nonlinear models, intensified social interaction can retard or enhance the diffusion of family planning, in contrast to only enhancing diffusion as within linear models. To clarify these implications, for comparison a simple and more transparent linear model is also discussed. Illustrative estimates are presented of simple linear and nonlinear models for rural Kenya that demonstrate that some of these effects may be considerable.

"This study uses Nicaraguan data to estimate a latent variable system of reduced-form demands for births, infant mortality, contraception, nutrition and breastfeeding. The estimates support some of the synthesis extensions to the standard fertility model, such as the concurrent increase of contraception, health, nutrition and fertility and decline in breastfeeding with income increases from initial low levels.... The initial stages of development may experience an increase in family size despite an increase in contraceptive use...as well as a profertility impact of reduced breastfeeding." Data are from a survey of women aged 15-45 that was conducted in Nicaragua from 1977 to 1978., (excerpt)

A test is constructed to distinguish between the Becker and the Easterlin models of the economics of fertility. Both suggest possible biases due to unobserved variables. It is demonstrated that "while the Becker endowment and Easterlin taste models can be expressed in terms of the same variables, it is possible to identify each of the models because of different signs in a latent variable system that uses information from individuals, siblings, and cousins. Estimates of this model are consistent with the Easterlin, but not the Becker formulation. But neither model results in significant income coefficient estimates." The geographical focus is on the United States., (excerpt)

"A common hypothesis regarding the distribution of income is that it tends to become more unequal in the initial and middle stages of economic development, in part because of demographic changes. However, previous studies of the effect of demographic changes on income distribution are not based on the underlying micro determinants of the income components." In the present paper, "the micro determinants of the probability of receipt and amount received conditional on receipt of four income components are estimated for three regions defined by the degree of urbanization. Five simulations of hypothetical demographic changes are conducted. The simulated effects on some of the regional income component distributions are fairly considerable in regard both to equalizing the distributions and increasing the shares of the poorest. However, the overall effects are regressive in both urban and rural regions.", (excerpt)

"Birth-order effects are posited by many to affect earnings and schooling. We show how such effects can be interpreted to shift either the earnings possibility frontier for siblings or parental preferences. We find empirical evidence for birth-order effects on (age-adjusted) schooling and on earnings for young U.S. adults, though the latter is not robust for all specifications. The examination of intrahousehold allocations suggests that these birth-order differences occur despite parental preferences or prices by birth order favoring later borns, apparently because of stronger endowment effects that favor first borns.", (excerpt)

A micro study of inter-regional migration by women in Nicaragua is presented. The authors "explore three sets of migratory incentives: (1) labor market factors such as usually are emphasized; (2) 'demographic marriage market' considerations (i.e., the probability of having a male companion)...; and (3) 'economic marriage market' considerations (i.e., the expected earnings from a companion given regional labor market conditions and assortative mating)....[They] use estimates of expected outcomes in origin, destination and third regions--conditional upon the woman's characteristics and upon regional differences in labor and marriage markets--to explore the consistency of actual migratory flows with these three sets of migratory incentives." Data are from a sample of approximately 4,000 women aged 15-45 who were interviewed in 1977-1978., (excerpt)

"Nutrients available to children are determined largely by intrahousehold allocations. There are a number of reasons why birth order may affect these allocations. A model is developed to estimate critical parameters of parental preferences regarding the allocation of nutrients among their children. Latent variable estimates for rural south India indicate that parental preferences have productivity-equity tradeoffs and parents favor older children. The productivity-equity tradeoff, however, is much less for the lean season. Therefore, when food is scarcest, parents follow more closely a pure investment strategy, exposing their more vulnerable children to greater malnutrition risk.", (excerpt)

The authors investigate the determinants of child mortality and health and nutrition status in Nicaragua using economic models of household behavior. In particular, they examine regional differences by degree of urbanization. Various factors affecting child mortality are considered. The results indicate that "income is not an important factor, there is an inverse relation with number of siblings, and there are positive associations with calorie intake, schooling (except in the relatively low-income areas), the availability of refrigeration, and the quality of sewage systems.", (excerpt)

Women's schooling is thought to have an important positive impact on children's health and nutrition in developing countries. A special adult sister sample from Nicaragua is used to explore this relation. Standard individual reduced-form estimates suggest a strong positive impact. With control for the unobserved common childhood family background characteristics shared by the sisters, the impact of women's schooling on nutrition is quite robust, but on the health outcomes declines substantially or evaporates. Thus, contrary to the standard estimates, mother's schooling does not appear to improve substantially their children's health outcomes, though it does seem to increase their nutrient intakes.