嬰兒健康生產函數：台灣的實證研究

Estimating the Infant Health Production Function in Taiwan

林欣蓉(Shin-Jong Lin) ； 李美玲(Mei-Lin Lee)

《經濟論文叢刊》 30卷1期 (2002/03) Pp. 77-111

https://doi.org/10.6277/ter.2002.301.4

摘要

本文係利用「第七次台灣地區縣市家庭計畫與生育保健調查」資料，估計台灣地區嬰兒健康生產函數，同時探討產前檢查的有效性是否因為忽略自我選擇與內生性問題，而產生低估或高估的現象。實證結果發現，婦女生育結果的機率受其本身的社經背景（如年齡，教育程度、先前人工流產次數等）影響十分明顯。此外，嬰兒出生結果與懷孕婦女懷孕時之健康行為有極大之關係。而產前檢查嬰兒產出體重之影響，並未得到統計上顯著的結果，但研究結果顯示，照普通最小平方估計法所估計之結果，有低估產前檢查有效性的現象。

關鍵字

嬰兒健康生產函數 ； 產前健康檢查 ； 人工流產 ； 優生保健

並列摘要

This research examines how pregnant women's self-selection affects the estimation of the infant health production function. A particular emphasis is placed on assessing the effectiveness of prenatal care as a major medical input in the birth-weight production function. The probability function of a pregnant woman's giving birth and the demand for prenatal care are also estimated. Primary data were compiled from a national survey on knowledge of, attitudes toward, and practice of family planning and reproductive health among married women in Taiwan. The results showed that the decision to give birth was significantly correlated with age, education level, and previous induced abortions. In addition, respondent' health behavior during pregnancy showed significant effects on infant birth outcome. Prenatal care was not found to have a significant effect on birth outcome. We also found that effectiveness of prenatal care tends to be biased downward when selection effects were not considered.

並列關鍵字

infant health production function ； prenatal care ； abortion ； genetic health

參考文獻

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