{"title":"The Power of Presence: The Impact of Paternity Leave on Child Health in China.","authors":"Xiaoman Li, Yu Fu, Ailin Mao","doi":"10.1002/hec.4947","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Based on multi-source data, this study uses a cross-regional and birth-cohort variation to construct a cross-sectional difference-in-differences model analyzing the impact of paternity leave (PL) policies on children's health outcomes, and explores underlying mechanism. The study finds that PL polices significantly improve children's health, with parallel trends tests and placebo tests demonstrating strong robustness of these findings. Further research reveals that PL can improve children's health through three pathways: encouraging fathers' involvement in childcare, increasing medical expenditure, and forming reasonable family labor division. Meanwhile, the policy shows significant heterogeneous effects on children's health outcomes across different family sizes and father's job types. Finally, this study further explores various factors affecting the implementation of PL, aiming to provide empirical evidence for policy-makers.</p>","PeriodicalId":12847,"journal":{"name":"Health economics","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0000,"publicationDate":"2025-02-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Health economics","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1002/hec.4947","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"ECONOMICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Based on multi-source data, this study uses a cross-regional and birth-cohort variation to construct a cross-sectional difference-in-differences model analyzing the impact of paternity leave (PL) policies on children's health outcomes, and explores underlying mechanism. The study finds that PL polices significantly improve children's health, with parallel trends tests and placebo tests demonstrating strong robustness of these findings. Further research reveals that PL can improve children's health through three pathways: encouraging fathers' involvement in childcare, increasing medical expenditure, and forming reasonable family labor division. Meanwhile, the policy shows significant heterogeneous effects on children's health outcomes across different family sizes and father's job types. Finally, this study further explores various factors affecting the implementation of PL, aiming to provide empirical evidence for policy-makers.
期刊介绍:
This Journal publishes articles on all aspects of health economics: theoretical contributions, empirical studies and analyses of health policy from the economic perspective. Its scope includes the determinants of health and its definition and valuation, as well as the demand for and supply of health care; planning and market mechanisms; micro-economic evaluation of individual procedures and treatments; and evaluation of the performance of health care systems.
Contributions should typically be original and innovative. As a rule, the Journal does not include routine applications of cost-effectiveness analysis, discrete choice experiments and costing analyses.
Editorials are regular features, these should be concise and topical. Occasionally commissioned reviews are published and special issues bring together contributions on a single topic. Health Economics Letters facilitate rapid exchange of views on topical issues. Contributions related to problems in both developed and developing countries are welcome.