Why Are Adult Women Missing? Son Preference and Maternal Survival in India

This paper is the first to show that excess mortality among adult women can be partly explained by strong preference for male children, the same cultural norm widely known to cause excess mortality before birth or at young ages. Using pooled indivi...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Milazzo, Annamaria
Format: Policy Research Working Paper
Language:English
en_US
Published: World Bank, Washington, DC 2014
Subjects:
HIV
SEX
Online Access:http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2014/03/19238584/adult-women-missing-son-preference-maternal-survival-india
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/17295
id okr-10986-17295
recordtype oai_dc
repository_type Digital Repository
institution_category Foreign Institution
institution Digital Repositories
building World Bank Open Knowledge Repository
collection World Bank
language English
en_US
topic ACCESS TO HEALTH
ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE
ACCESS TO HEALTH SERVICES
ACCESS TO TREATMENT
ACCIDENTS
ADOLESCENCE
ADULT MORTALITY
ADULT WOMEN
ADULTHOOD
ADVERSE HEALTH
AGE DISTRIBUTION
AMNIOCENTESIS
ANTENATAL CARE
BIOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES
BIRTH ORDER
BIRTH SPACING
BREASTFEEDING
CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE
CARE SERVICES
CHILD HEALTH
CHILD MORTALITY
CHILDBEARING
CHILDBIRTH
CHILDHOOD
CHRONIC CONDITIONS
CHRONIC MALNUTRITION
CLOSELY SPACED PREGNANCIES
COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE
COMPLICATIONS
CONDOMS
CONTRACEPTION
CONTRACEPTIVES
DEPRESSION
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
DEVELOPMENT POLICY
DIET
DISABILITIES
DISABILITY
DISCRIMINATION
DISEASES
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
EARLY DETECTION
EDUCATED WOMEN
EITHER SEX
EMOTIONAL VIOLENCE
EXCESS MORTALITY
FAMILIES
FAMILY HEALTH
FAMILY PLANNING
FAMILY SIZE
FEMALE
FEMALE CHILDREN
FEMALE MORTALITY
FEMALE POPULATION
FEMALE STERILIZATION
FEMALES
FERTILITY
FERTILITY BEHAVIOR
FERTILITY RATE
FERTILITY RATES
FIRST BIRTH
FIRST BIRTHS
FIRST CHILD
FIRST MARRIAGE
FIRST PREGNANCY
FORMS OF VIOLENCE
GENDER
GENDER BIAS
GENDER DIFFERENTIAL
GENDER DISPARITIES
GENDER PREFERENCES
GYNECOLOGY
HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
HEALTH CONSEQUENCES
HEALTH FACILITIES
HEALTH RISKS
HEALTH STATUS
HIV
HIV/AIDS
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
HUMAN RESOURCES
HUSBAND
HUSBANDS
IDEAL FAMILY SIZE
ILLEGAL ABORTION
ILLEGAL ABORTIONS
ILLNESS
INFANT
INFECTIONS
INFERTILITY
INFORMATION ON WOMEN
INJURIES
INJURY
IRON STORES
JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY
KNOWLEDGE OF CONTRACEPTION
LEVELS OF FERTILITY
LIFETIME RISK
LIFETIME RISK OF DEATH
LIVE BIRTHS
MALARIA
MARRIED WOMEN
MATERNAL CARE
MATERNAL DEATH
MATERNAL DEATHS
MATERNAL HEALTH
MATERNAL HEALTH CARE
MATERNAL HEALTH OUTCOMES
MATERNAL MORBIDITY
MATERNAL MORTALITY
MATERNAL MORTALITY RATIO
MATERNAL MORTALITY RATIOS
MATERNAL NUTRITION
MEAT
MEDICAL BULLETIN
METHOD OF CONTRACEPTION
METHODS OF CONTRACEPTION
MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOAL
MISCARRIAGE
MORTALITY RATES
MOTHER
MOTHERS
NATIONAL FAMILY HEALTH SURVEY
NATIONAL POPULATION
NATIONAL POPULATION POLICY
NEWBORN
NUMBER OF BIRTHS
NUMBER OF CHILDREN
NUMBER OF DEATHS
NUMBER OF WOMEN
NUTRITIONAL NEEDS
NUTRITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
NUTRITIONAL STATUS
NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS
NUTRITIOUS FOOD
OBSTETRIC FISTULA
OBSTETRICS
OLDER AGE GROUPS
OLDER CHILDREN
OLDER WOMEN
OVERWEIGHT
PELVIC INFLAMMATORY DISEASE
PHYSICAL VIOLENCE
POLICY DISCUSSIONS
POLICY RESEARCH
POLICY RESEARCH WORKING PAPER
POOR HEALTH
POOR NUTRITION
POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT
POPULATION STUDIES
PRACTITIONERS
PREGNANCY
PREGNANT WOMEN
PRENATAL CARE
PRENATAL DIAGNOSTIC
PRENATAL DIAGNOSTICS
PROGRESS
PSYCHOSES
PUBLIC HEALTH
PUBLIC SERVICES
RADIO
REDUCING MATERNAL MORTALITY
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE
REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS
REPRODUCTIVE YEARS
RHYTHM METHOD
RISK OF DEATH
RURAL AREAS
SAFE MOTHERHOOD
SECOND BIRTH
SEVERE VIOLENCE
SEX
SEX OF THE CHILD
SEX OF THE FETUS
SEX PREFERENCE
SEX RATIO
SEX RATIOS
SEX SELECTION
SEX-SELECTIVE ABORTION
SEX-SELECTIVE ABORTIONS
SEXUAL VIOLENCE
SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS
SON PREFERENCE
SPACING BETWEEN BIRTHS
SPOUSAL VIOLENCE
SPOUSE
STATUS OF WOMEN
STERILIZATION
SUICIDE
TELEVISION
TERMINATION OF PREGNANCY
UNEDUCATED WOMEN
UNICEF
UNITED NATIONS
UNITED NATIONS POPULATION DIVISION
UNIVERSAL ACCESS
UNSAFE ABORTION
UNSAFE ABORTIONS
URBAN AREAS
VICTIMS
WILL
WIVES
WOMAN
WOMEN WITH EDUCATION
WOMEN'S HEALTH
WORLD POPULATION
YOUNG AGES
YOUNG GIRLS
YOUNGER WOMEN
spellingShingle ACCESS TO HEALTH
ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE
ACCESS TO HEALTH SERVICES
ACCESS TO TREATMENT
ACCIDENTS
ADOLESCENCE
ADULT MORTALITY
ADULT WOMEN
ADULTHOOD
ADVERSE HEALTH
AGE DISTRIBUTION
AMNIOCENTESIS
ANTENATAL CARE
BIOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES
BIRTH ORDER
BIRTH SPACING
BREASTFEEDING
CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE
CARE SERVICES
CHILD HEALTH
CHILD MORTALITY
CHILDBEARING
CHILDBIRTH
CHILDHOOD
CHRONIC CONDITIONS
CHRONIC MALNUTRITION
CLOSELY SPACED PREGNANCIES
COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE
COMPLICATIONS
CONDOMS
CONTRACEPTION
CONTRACEPTIVES
DEPRESSION
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
DEVELOPMENT POLICY
DIET
DISABILITIES
DISABILITY
DISCRIMINATION
DISEASES
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
EARLY DETECTION
EDUCATED WOMEN
EITHER SEX
EMOTIONAL VIOLENCE
EXCESS MORTALITY
FAMILIES
FAMILY HEALTH
FAMILY PLANNING
FAMILY SIZE
FEMALE
FEMALE CHILDREN
FEMALE MORTALITY
FEMALE POPULATION
FEMALE STERILIZATION
FEMALES
FERTILITY
FERTILITY BEHAVIOR
FERTILITY RATE
FERTILITY RATES
FIRST BIRTH
FIRST BIRTHS
FIRST CHILD
FIRST MARRIAGE
FIRST PREGNANCY
FORMS OF VIOLENCE
GENDER
GENDER BIAS
GENDER DIFFERENTIAL
GENDER DISPARITIES
GENDER PREFERENCES
GYNECOLOGY
HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
HEALTH CONSEQUENCES
HEALTH FACILITIES
HEALTH RISKS
HEALTH STATUS
HIV
HIV/AIDS
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
HUMAN RESOURCES
HUSBAND
HUSBANDS
IDEAL FAMILY SIZE
ILLEGAL ABORTION
ILLEGAL ABORTIONS
ILLNESS
INFANT
INFECTIONS
INFERTILITY
INFORMATION ON WOMEN
INJURIES
INJURY
IRON STORES
JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY
KNOWLEDGE OF CONTRACEPTION
LEVELS OF FERTILITY
LIFETIME RISK
LIFETIME RISK OF DEATH
LIVE BIRTHS
MALARIA
MARRIED WOMEN
MATERNAL CARE
MATERNAL DEATH
MATERNAL DEATHS
MATERNAL HEALTH
MATERNAL HEALTH CARE
MATERNAL HEALTH OUTCOMES
MATERNAL MORBIDITY
MATERNAL MORTALITY
MATERNAL MORTALITY RATIO
MATERNAL MORTALITY RATIOS
MATERNAL NUTRITION
MEAT
MEDICAL BULLETIN
METHOD OF CONTRACEPTION
METHODS OF CONTRACEPTION
MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOAL
MISCARRIAGE
MORTALITY RATES
MOTHER
MOTHERS
NATIONAL FAMILY HEALTH SURVEY
NATIONAL POPULATION
NATIONAL POPULATION POLICY
NEWBORN
NUMBER OF BIRTHS
NUMBER OF CHILDREN
NUMBER OF DEATHS
NUMBER OF WOMEN
NUTRITIONAL NEEDS
NUTRITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
NUTRITIONAL STATUS
NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS
NUTRITIOUS FOOD
OBSTETRIC FISTULA
OBSTETRICS
OLDER AGE GROUPS
OLDER CHILDREN
OLDER WOMEN
OVERWEIGHT
PELVIC INFLAMMATORY DISEASE
PHYSICAL VIOLENCE
POLICY DISCUSSIONS
POLICY RESEARCH
POLICY RESEARCH WORKING PAPER
POOR HEALTH
POOR NUTRITION
POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT
POPULATION STUDIES
PRACTITIONERS
PREGNANCY
PREGNANT WOMEN
PRENATAL CARE
PRENATAL DIAGNOSTIC
PRENATAL DIAGNOSTICS
PROGRESS
PSYCHOSES
PUBLIC HEALTH
PUBLIC SERVICES
RADIO
REDUCING MATERNAL MORTALITY
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE
REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS
REPRODUCTIVE YEARS
RHYTHM METHOD
RISK OF DEATH
RURAL AREAS
SAFE MOTHERHOOD
SECOND BIRTH
SEVERE VIOLENCE
SEX
SEX OF THE CHILD
SEX OF THE FETUS
SEX PREFERENCE
SEX RATIO
SEX RATIOS
SEX SELECTION
SEX-SELECTIVE ABORTION
SEX-SELECTIVE ABORTIONS
SEXUAL VIOLENCE
SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS
SON PREFERENCE
SPACING BETWEEN BIRTHS
SPOUSAL VIOLENCE
SPOUSE
STATUS OF WOMEN
STERILIZATION
SUICIDE
TELEVISION
TERMINATION OF PREGNANCY
UNEDUCATED WOMEN
UNICEF
UNITED NATIONS
UNITED NATIONS POPULATION DIVISION
UNIVERSAL ACCESS
UNSAFE ABORTION
UNSAFE ABORTIONS
URBAN AREAS
VICTIMS
WILL
WIVES
WOMAN
WOMEN WITH EDUCATION
WOMEN'S HEALTH
WORLD POPULATION
YOUNG AGES
YOUNG GIRLS
YOUNGER WOMEN
Milazzo, Annamaria
Why Are Adult Women Missing? Son Preference and Maternal Survival in India
geographic_facet South Asia
India
relation Policy Research Working Paper;No. 6802
description This paper is the first to show that excess mortality among adult women can be partly explained by strong preference for male children, the same cultural norm widely known to cause excess mortality before birth or at young ages. Using pooled individual-level data for India, the paper compares the age structure and anemia status of women by the sex of their first-born and uncovers several new findings. First, the share of living women with a first-born girl is a decreasing function of the women's age at the time of the survey. Second, while there are no systematic differences at the time of birth, women with a first-born girl are significantly more likely to develop anemia when young (under the age of 30) and these differences disappear for older women. Moreover, among those in the older age group, they appear to be significantly better off in terms of various predetermined characteristics. These findings are consistent with a selection effect in which maternal and adult mortality is higher for women with first-born girls, especially the poor and uneducated with limited access to health care and prenatal sex diagnostic technologies. To ensure the desired sex composition of children, these women resort to a fertility behavior medically known to increase their risk of death. The observed sex ratios for first births imply that 2.2-8.4 percent of women with first-born girls are 'missing' because of son preference between the ages of 30 and 49.
format Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper
author Milazzo, Annamaria
author_facet Milazzo, Annamaria
author_sort Milazzo, Annamaria
title Why Are Adult Women Missing? Son Preference and Maternal Survival in India
title_short Why Are Adult Women Missing? Son Preference and Maternal Survival in India
title_full Why Are Adult Women Missing? Son Preference and Maternal Survival in India
title_fullStr Why Are Adult Women Missing? Son Preference and Maternal Survival in India
title_full_unstemmed Why Are Adult Women Missing? Son Preference and Maternal Survival in India
title_sort why are adult women missing? son preference and maternal survival in india
publisher World Bank, Washington, DC
publishDate 2014
url http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2014/03/19238584/adult-women-missing-son-preference-maternal-survival-india
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/17295
_version_ 1764436931342499840
spelling okr-10986-172952021-04-23T14:03:37Z Why Are Adult Women Missing? Son Preference and Maternal Survival in India Milazzo, Annamaria ACCESS TO HEALTH ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE ACCESS TO HEALTH SERVICES ACCESS TO TREATMENT ACCIDENTS ADOLESCENCE ADULT MORTALITY ADULT WOMEN ADULTHOOD ADVERSE HEALTH AGE DISTRIBUTION AMNIOCENTESIS ANTENATAL CARE BIOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES BIRTH ORDER BIRTH SPACING BREASTFEEDING CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE CARE SERVICES CHILD HEALTH CHILD MORTALITY CHILDBEARING CHILDBIRTH CHILDHOOD CHRONIC CONDITIONS CHRONIC MALNUTRITION CLOSELY SPACED PREGNANCIES COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE COMPLICATIONS CONDOMS CONTRACEPTION CONTRACEPTIVES DEPRESSION DEVELOPING COUNTRIES DEVELOPMENT POLICY DIET DISABILITIES DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION DISEASES DOMESTIC VIOLENCE EARLY DETECTION EDUCATED WOMEN EITHER SEX EMOTIONAL VIOLENCE EXCESS MORTALITY FAMILIES FAMILY HEALTH FAMILY PLANNING FAMILY SIZE FEMALE FEMALE CHILDREN FEMALE MORTALITY FEMALE POPULATION FEMALE STERILIZATION FEMALES FERTILITY FERTILITY BEHAVIOR FERTILITY RATE FERTILITY RATES FIRST BIRTH FIRST BIRTHS FIRST CHILD FIRST MARRIAGE FIRST PREGNANCY FORMS OF VIOLENCE GENDER GENDER BIAS GENDER DIFFERENTIAL GENDER DISPARITIES GENDER PREFERENCES GYNECOLOGY HEALTH CARE SYSTEM HEALTH CONSEQUENCES HEALTH FACILITIES HEALTH RISKS HEALTH STATUS HIV HIV/AIDS HUMAN DEVELOPMENT HUMAN RESOURCES HUSBAND HUSBANDS IDEAL FAMILY SIZE ILLEGAL ABORTION ILLEGAL ABORTIONS ILLNESS INFANT INFECTIONS INFERTILITY INFORMATION ON WOMEN INJURIES INJURY IRON STORES JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY KNOWLEDGE OF CONTRACEPTION LEVELS OF FERTILITY LIFETIME RISK LIFETIME RISK OF DEATH LIVE BIRTHS MALARIA MARRIED WOMEN MATERNAL CARE MATERNAL DEATH MATERNAL DEATHS MATERNAL HEALTH MATERNAL HEALTH CARE MATERNAL HEALTH OUTCOMES MATERNAL MORBIDITY MATERNAL MORTALITY MATERNAL MORTALITY RATIO MATERNAL MORTALITY RATIOS MATERNAL NUTRITION MEAT MEDICAL BULLETIN METHOD OF CONTRACEPTION METHODS OF CONTRACEPTION MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOAL MISCARRIAGE MORTALITY RATES MOTHER MOTHERS NATIONAL FAMILY HEALTH SURVEY NATIONAL POPULATION NATIONAL POPULATION POLICY NEWBORN NUMBER OF BIRTHS NUMBER OF CHILDREN NUMBER OF DEATHS NUMBER OF WOMEN NUTRITIONAL NEEDS NUTRITIONAL REQUIREMENTS NUTRITIONAL STATUS NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS NUTRITIOUS FOOD OBSTETRIC FISTULA OBSTETRICS OLDER AGE GROUPS OLDER CHILDREN OLDER WOMEN OVERWEIGHT PELVIC INFLAMMATORY DISEASE PHYSICAL VIOLENCE POLICY DISCUSSIONS POLICY RESEARCH POLICY RESEARCH WORKING PAPER POOR HEALTH POOR NUTRITION POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT POPULATION STUDIES PRACTITIONERS PREGNANCY PREGNANT WOMEN PRENATAL CARE PRENATAL DIAGNOSTIC PRENATAL DIAGNOSTICS PROGRESS PSYCHOSES PUBLIC HEALTH PUBLIC SERVICES RADIO REDUCING MATERNAL MORTALITY REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS REPRODUCTIVE YEARS RHYTHM METHOD RISK OF DEATH RURAL AREAS SAFE MOTHERHOOD SECOND BIRTH SEVERE VIOLENCE SEX SEX OF THE CHILD SEX OF THE FETUS SEX PREFERENCE SEX RATIO SEX RATIOS SEX SELECTION SEX-SELECTIVE ABORTION SEX-SELECTIVE ABORTIONS SEXUAL VIOLENCE SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS SON PREFERENCE SPACING BETWEEN BIRTHS SPOUSAL VIOLENCE SPOUSE STATUS OF WOMEN STERILIZATION SUICIDE TELEVISION TERMINATION OF PREGNANCY UNEDUCATED WOMEN UNICEF UNITED NATIONS UNITED NATIONS POPULATION DIVISION UNIVERSAL ACCESS UNSAFE ABORTION UNSAFE ABORTIONS URBAN AREAS VICTIMS WILL WIVES WOMAN WOMEN WITH EDUCATION WOMEN'S HEALTH WORLD POPULATION YOUNG AGES YOUNG GIRLS YOUNGER WOMEN This paper is the first to show that excess mortality among adult women can be partly explained by strong preference for male children, the same cultural norm widely known to cause excess mortality before birth or at young ages. Using pooled individual-level data for India, the paper compares the age structure and anemia status of women by the sex of their first-born and uncovers several new findings. First, the share of living women with a first-born girl is a decreasing function of the women's age at the time of the survey. Second, while there are no systematic differences at the time of birth, women with a first-born girl are significantly more likely to develop anemia when young (under the age of 30) and these differences disappear for older women. Moreover, among those in the older age group, they appear to be significantly better off in terms of various predetermined characteristics. These findings are consistent with a selection effect in which maternal and adult mortality is higher for women with first-born girls, especially the poor and uneducated with limited access to health care and prenatal sex diagnostic technologies. To ensure the desired sex composition of children, these women resort to a fertility behavior medically known to increase their risk of death. The observed sex ratios for first births imply that 2.2-8.4 percent of women with first-born girls are 'missing' because of son preference between the ages of 30 and 49. 2014-03-18T19:30:44Z 2014-03-18T19:30:44Z 2014-03 http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2014/03/19238584/adult-women-missing-son-preference-maternal-survival-india http://hdl.handle.net/10986/17295 English en_US Policy Research Working Paper;No. 6802 CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/ World Bank, Washington, DC Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper Publications & Research South Asia India