Determinantes de la calidad de los niños en términos de salud y educación en Colombia

Abstract

"The purpose of this study is to establish the determinants of the quality of children in Colombia. A model was estimated to determine fertility as well as the marital status of women. Variables as education of the mother and the household s wealth indicator showed a negative relation with fertility. Exogenous variables to the mother, like the use of planning methods showed a negative relationship with fertility. Children s stature, weight and education level were used as quality indicators. As expected, an existing interaction between amount and quality for all the indicators was verified. When the models with the variable marital status, as proxy of the family structure, were considered, they showed a positive relation between the quality of children and women being married. In relation to fertility, although this indicator demographically diminished, this is a variable that should be considered in public policies. On the other hand, since the country s tendencies indicate that consensual unions and divorces increase, this is a very important variable because, as shown, this type of family structure can affect the quality of the children."