RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Does the Delivery of Primary Health Care Improve Birth Outcomes?
JF Journal of Human Resources
JO J Hum Resour
FD University of Wisconsin Press
SP 0623-12952R1
DO 10.3368/jhr.0623-12952R1
A1 Kose, Esra
A1 O’Keefe, Siobhan
A1 Rosales-Rueda, Maria
YR 2024
UL http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/early/2024/08/01/jhr.0623-12952R1.abstract
AB Community Health Centers (CHCs) deliver primary care to underserved populations by locating sliding-scale clinics in disadvantaged areas. We investigate how this policy affected infant health using the rollout of CHCs and a flexible event study framework with Vital Statistics natality data. We find that maternal access to CHCs improves infant health outcomes within seven years after their introduction. Treatment-on-the-treated estimates show a 25- to 42-gram increase in birth weight and a 9% to 16% reduction in the likelihood of low birth weight. These improvements can be explained by increased access to early prenatal care and reductions in maternal smoking.