Health Information and Health Outcomes: An Application of the Regression Discontinuity Design to the 1995 UK Contraceptive Pill Scare Case
This paper provides a general formulation of the regression discontinuity (RD) design and shows its general applicability to many epidemiological problems. It then applies the RD method to estimate the e�ects of the 1995 pill scare in the UK, using individual birth records and aggregate monthly statistics. The results show that, following the announce- ment of the health warning on the \third generation" pill, conception rates increased by about 7%, with a 9% increase in abortion rates and a 6-7% rise in birth rates. No e�ect was found on still births, very low birth weight, sex ratios, or average birth weight. There is evidence of a slight increase in the rates of low birth weight births and multiple births and of a considerable reduction in the rate of births with congenital anomalies. Hetero- geneity by mother's age and social class is very pronounced, with most of the e�ects being experienced by women aged less than 25 and of lower socioeconomic status.
Year of publication: |
2011-06-09
|
---|---|
Authors: | Bono, Emilia Del ; Francesconi, Marco ; Best, Nicky |
Saved in:
freely available
Saved in favorites
Similar items by person
-
Del Bono, Emilia, (2011)
-
Early Maternal Time Investment and Early Child Outcomes
Bono, Emilia Del, (2014)
-
Intrafamily Resource Allocations: A Dynamic Structural Model of Birth Weight
Bono, Emilia Del, (2012)
- More ...