Job Market Paper
"Health Outcomes and Cash Transfers: Evidence from Progresa in Urban Mexico"
Abstract
This paper studies the impact of Progresa program on urban areas and children's health anthropometric measures in Mexico. Using a differences-in-differences design by a locality's first year of enrollment and the children's age at first exposure to treatment, I estimate the effects of receiving one additional year of Progresa between 11 and 14 years old. My findings show that treated urban boys gain 1.9 centimeters (cm) more height for each additional year of treatment received. My estimates are slightly larger than previous findings using the rural experimental evaluation. Furthermore, my analysis underscores some unintended effects of the program on adolescent's health, such as an increase in the prevalence of overweight and obesity, particularly among girls (between 5 to 14 percentage points more). While these have been observed among the adult population from the rural experiment, my findings suggest that the urban poor experience these risks at younger ages. Further research is needed to understand the households' incentives to spend their cash transfer on healthy food, given the increasing availability of cheap ultra-processed food in urban areas.
This paper studies the impact of Progresa program on urban areas and children's health anthropometric measures in Mexico. Using a differences-in-differences design by a locality's first year of enrollment and the children's age at first exposure to treatment, I estimate the effects of receiving one additional year of Progresa between 11 and 14 years old. My findings show that treated urban boys gain 1.9 centimeters (cm) more height for each additional year of treatment received. My estimates are slightly larger than previous findings using the rural experimental evaluation. Furthermore, my analysis underscores some unintended effects of the program on adolescent's health, such as an increase in the prevalence of overweight and obesity, particularly among girls (between 5 to 14 percentage points more). While these have been observed among the adult population from the rural experiment, my findings suggest that the urban poor experience these risks at younger ages. Further research is needed to understand the households' incentives to spend their cash transfer on healthy food, given the increasing availability of cheap ultra-processed food in urban areas.
Publications
"Colonial agricultural estates and rural development in twentieth-century Mexico" with Luz Marina Arias. Economic History of Developing Regions, 2024.
"Urban poverty and nutrition challenges associated with accessibility to a healthy diet: a global systematic literature review'' with Mireya Vilar-Compte and others. International Journal for Equity in Health, 40, 2021.
"A longitudinal study of height gaps among Mexican children: Disparities and social inequity'' with Vilar-Compte and others. Social Science & Medicine, 264, 2020.
"How much can Mexican healthcare providers learn about breastfeeding through a semi-virtual training? A propensity score matching analysis'' with Vilar-Compte and others. International Breastfeeding Journal, 15(59), 2020.
"Costs of Maternity Leave to Support Breastfeeding; Brazil, Ghana, and Mexico'' with Vilar-Compte and others. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 98, 2020.
"How do context variables affect food insecurity in Mexico? Implications for policy and governance'' with Vilar-Compte and others. Public Health Nutrition, 1-8, 2019.
"Costing a Maternity Leave Cash Transfer to Support Breastfeeding Among Informally Employed Mexican Women'' with Vilar-Compte and others. Food and Nutrition Bulletin, 40(2), 2019.
"Competitiveness and Specialization in the Mexican Bajío: An homogeneous region?'' with Kurt Unger and Lizet Pérez. Paradijma Económico, 11(2), 2019.
"Productivity and Human Capital: Complementary Sources of Competitiveness in the states of Mexico'' with K. Unger and J. Eduardo Ibarra. El Trimestre Económico, 324, LXXXI(4), 2014.
"Urban poverty and nutrition challenges associated with accessibility to a healthy diet: a global systematic literature review'' with Mireya Vilar-Compte and others. International Journal for Equity in Health, 40, 2021.
"A longitudinal study of height gaps among Mexican children: Disparities and social inequity'' with Vilar-Compte and others. Social Science & Medicine, 264, 2020.
"How much can Mexican healthcare providers learn about breastfeeding through a semi-virtual training? A propensity score matching analysis'' with Vilar-Compte and others. International Breastfeeding Journal, 15(59), 2020.
"Costs of Maternity Leave to Support Breastfeeding; Brazil, Ghana, and Mexico'' with Vilar-Compte and others. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 98, 2020.
"How do context variables affect food insecurity in Mexico? Implications for policy and governance'' with Vilar-Compte and others. Public Health Nutrition, 1-8, 2019.
"Costing a Maternity Leave Cash Transfer to Support Breastfeeding Among Informally Employed Mexican Women'' with Vilar-Compte and others. Food and Nutrition Bulletin, 40(2), 2019.
"Competitiveness and Specialization in the Mexican Bajío: An homogeneous region?'' with Kurt Unger and Lizet Pérez. Paradijma Económico, 11(2), 2019.
"Productivity and Human Capital: Complementary Sources of Competitiveness in the states of Mexico'' with K. Unger and J. Eduardo Ibarra. El Trimestre Económico, 324, LXXXI(4), 2014.