title: Sibling rivalry and the gender gap: evidence from child health outcomes in Ghana.
abstract: "When capital and labor markets are imperfect, choice sets narrow, and parents must choose how to ration available funds and time between their children. One consequence is that children become rivals for household resources. In economies with pro-male bias, such rivalries can yield gains to having relatively more sisters than brothers. Using a rich household survey from Ghana [the 1988-1989 Ghana Living Standards Survey], we find that on average if children had all sisters (and no brothers) they would do roughly 25-40% better on measured health indicators than if they had all brothers (and no sisters)."
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Garg
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Morduch
mesh_terms: D000349:Africa; D017954:Africa South of the Sahara; D000354:Africa, Western; D001519:Behavior; D002669:Child Welfare; D003710:Demography; D003906:Developing Countries; D004467:Economics; D005376:Financial Management; D005869:Ghana; D006262:Health; D015276:Health Care Rationing; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D011153:Population; D011154:Population Characteristics; D011287:Prejudice; D011584:Psychology; D012723:Sex; D012737:Sex Factors; D012940:Social Problems; D012945:Social Values
keywords: Africa; Africa South Of The Sahara; Behavior; Child Health--determinants; Demographic Factors; Developing Countries; Economic Factors; English Speaking Africa; Financial Activities; Gender Issues; Ghana; Health; Population; Population Characteristics; Psychological Factors; Resource Allocation; Sex Factors; Sex Preference; Social Discrimination; Social Problems; Value Orientation; Western Africa