出版社：Suntory Toyota International Centres for Economics and Related Disciplines
摘要：In this paper we explore the association between family income and children’s
cognitive ability (IQ and school performance), socio-emotional outcomes (self
esteem, locus of control and behavioural problems) and physical health (risk of
obesity). We develop a decomposition technique that allows us to compare the
relative importance of the adverse family characteristics and home environments
of low income children in accounting for different outcomes. Using rich cohort
data from the UK we find that poor children are disadvantaged at age 7 to 9
across the full spectrum of outcomes, the gradient being strongest for cognitive
outcomes and weakest for physical health. We find that some aspects of
environment appear to be associated with the full range of outcomes - for
example, maternal smoking and breastfeeding, child nutrition, parental
psychological functioning. We also find some some aspects of the environment of
higher income households hinder child development. We conclude that many aspects
of growing up in poverty are harmful to children’s development, and that
narrowly-targeted interventions are unlikely to have a significant impact on
intergenerational mobility
