The Effects of Female Education and Health and Family Planning Programs on Child Mortality and Fertility in Indonesia

Gustavo Angeles, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
David Guilkey, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Thomas Mroz, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Numerous studies indicate that female education is a major determinant of child mortality and fertility. Estimated reductions of mortality and fertility due to increases in education typically dwarf the effects of most other variables, including those measuring health and family planning programs. There are, however, two deficiencies in this empirical research. First, most studies do not treat a woman’s education as a possibly endogenous determinant. Education may be a proxy for unobserved characteristics as woman’s ability and motivation. Second, programs may influence a woman’s decision about education. In this paper we present an empirical model that treats female education as an endogenous determinant of child mortality and fertility and allows for health and FP programs to influence female education. Model estimates using the 1993 Indonesia Family Life Survey provide better understanding of the role of female education and health and family planning programs on these important population outcomes in Indonesia.