[EQ] Role of cash in conditional cash transfer programmes for child health, growth, and development: an analysis of Mexico's Oportunidades

Role of cash in conditional cash transfer programmes for child health, growth, and development:
an analysis of Mexico's Oportunidades

 

Lia CH Fernald,   Paul J Gertler and   Lynnette M Neufeld

The Lancet,  Volume 371, Number 9615, 8 March 2008

 

Available online at: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140673608603827/fulltext

"……Many governments have implemented conditional cash transfer (CCT) programmes with the goal of improving options for poor families through interventions in health, nutrition, and education. Families enrolled in CCT programmes receive cash in exchange for complying with certain conditions: preventive health requirements and nutrition supplementation, education, and monitoring designed to improve health outcomes and promote positive behaviour change. Our aim was to disaggregate the effects of cash transfer from those of other programme components.

Methods

In an intervention that began in 1998 in Mexico, low-income communities (n=506) were randomly assigned to be enrolled in a CCT programme (Oportunidades, formerly Progresa) immediately or 18 months later. In 2003, children (n=2449) aged 24–68 months who had been enrolled in the programme their entire lives were assessed for a wide variety of outcomes. We used linear and logistic regression to determine the effect size for each outcome that is associated with a doubling of cash transfers while controlling for a wide range of covariates, including measures of household socioeconomic status.

Findings

A doubling of cash transfers was associated with higher height-for-age Z score (β 0·20, 95% CI 0·09–0·30; p<0·0001), lower prevalence of stunting (−0·10, −0·16 to −0·05; p<0·0001), lower body-mass index for age percentile (−2·85, −5·54 to −0·15; p=0·04), and lower prevalence of being overweight (−0·08, −0·13 to −0·03; p=0·001). A doubling of cash transfers was also associated with children doing better on a scale of motor development, three scales of cognitive development, and with receptive language.

Interpretation

Our results suggest that the cash transfer component of Oportunidades is associated with better outcomes in child health, growth, and development.

 

Affiliations
a. School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
b. Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
c. Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Cuernavaca, Mexico

 

 

  *      *      *     * 

This message from the Pan American Health Organization, PAHO/WHO, is part of an effort to disseminate
information Related to: Equity; Health inequality; Socioeconomic inequality in health; Socioeconomic
health differentials; Gender; Violence; Poverty; Health Economics; Health Legislation; Ethnicity; Ethics;
Information Technology - Virtual libraries; Research & Science issues.  [DD/ IKM Area] 

"Materials provided in this electronic list are provided "as is".Unless expressly stated otherwise, the findings
and interpretations included in the Materials are those of the authors and not necessarily of The Pan American
Health Organization PAHO/WHO or its country members".
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PAHO/WHO Website: http://www.paho.org/
EQUITY List - Archives - Join/remove: http://listserv.paho.org/Archives/equidad.html

 

 

 

    IMPORTANT: This transmission is for use by the intended recipient and it may contain privileged, proprietary or confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient or a person responsible for delivering this transmission to the intended recipient, you may not disclose, copy or distribute this transmission or take any action in reliance on it. If you received this transmission in error, please notify us immediately by email to infosec@paho.org, and please dispose of and delete this transmission. Thank you.