The brother's penalty: Boy preference and girls' health in rural China

Abstract

This paper identifies the health penalty experienced by girls due to having a brother from endogenous sibling gender composition. We propose a girls-to-girls comparison strategy and rule out the confounding effect from the sibship size, birth interval, and birth order. Employing an instrumental variable approach and data from the Chinese Family Panel Studies, we find that girls with a brother are demonstrably shorter and report poorer health. This “brother's penalty” manifests even prenatally. Alternative explanations, such as birth order disadvantages, are carefully addressed and ruled out. The results hold even after excluding gender-neutral ethnic minorities. This observed penalty is likely attributed to unequal resource allocation within families and potential parental neglect. This penalty is amplified in families with lower income and maternal education, implying resource constraints contribute to gender discrimination. Our findings highlight the importance of addressing intrafamily gender bias for ensuring equal opportunities and health outcomes.

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