Linkages between parental education, utilization of health care facilities and health status of children: Evidence from India

Abstract

In this paper we identify the multiple channels by which parental education affects child health status. These can be summarised as follows: (a) parental education directly improves child health status; (b) amongst all those who utilised institutional health care facilities children of educated parents have a better health status; (c) educated mothers are more likely to utilise institutional health care whether or not such facilities are available within their village; and (d) educated parents are more likely to utilise health care centre that is available in a village, compared to uneducated parents. Our results show that merely expanding the supply of health care facilities will not help to increase the pace of reduction in child mortality rates and improve child health status. Utilization of existing health care services too should expand and here women’s education plays a positive role. Hence, the government has to pay attention to increase education level of adults, women in particular, along with the expansion of health care coverage.