Determinants of children's health

The purpose of this research is to investigate empirically the determinants of children's health with particular reference to home and local environmental variables such as family income, parents' schooling, preventive medical care, and health manpower availability. Wherever possible, children's health is studied in the context of the nature-nurture controversy. The findings indicate that family characteristics (especially mother's schooling) do have significant impacts on children's health and that preventive care is an important vehicle for this impact in the case of dental health but not in the case of physical health. Similarly, the greater availability of dentists has a positive impact on dental health, but greater availability of pediatricians does not alter the physical health measures.