title: Parental behavior and child health.
abstract: In this paper we document the ways in which parental behavior and socioeconomic status affect children's health. We examine parental behavior in both the prenatal period and childhood. We present evidence on the correlation of this behavior with income and parents' socioeconomic status, and on the ways in which parents' actions affect children's health. We conclude that while health insurance coverage and advances in medical treatment may be important determinants of children's health, they cannot be the only pillars: Protecting children's health also calls for a broader set of policies that target parents' health-related behavior.
authors.affiliation: Research Program of Development Studies, Princeton University, USA.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Case
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Paxson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D020793:Gatekeeping; D015438:Health Behavior; D006291:Health Policy; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D019458:Insurance Coverage; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000145:classification / Q000523:psychology; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology