| By: |
Murat Demirci (Department of Economics, Koç University);
Andrew Foster (Department of Economics and Population Studies and Training Center, Brown University);
Murat Kırdar (Department of Economics, Boğaziçi University, Bebek, Istanbul 34342, Turkey and Population Studies and Training Center, Brown University) |
| Abstract: |
This study examines disparities in health and nutrition among native and
Syrian-refugee children in Turkey. With a view toward understanding the need
for targeted programs addressing child well-being among the refugee
population, we analyze, in particular, the Turkey Demographic and Health
Survey (TDHS). The TDHS is one of few data sets providing representative data
on health and nutrition for a large refugee and native population. We find no
evidence of a difference in infant or child mortality between refugee children
born in Turkey and native children. However, refugee infants born in Turkey
have lower birthweight and ageadjusted weight and height than native infants.
When we account for a rich set of birth and socioeconomic characteristics that
display substantial differences between natives and refugees, the gaps in
birthweight and age-adjusted height persist, but the gap in age-adjusted
weight disappears. Although refugee infants close the weight gap at the mean
over time, the gap at the lower end of the distribution persists. The rich set
of covariates we use explains about 35% of the baseline difference in
birthweight and more than half of the baseline difference in current height.
However, even after that, refugee infants’ average birthweight is 0.17
standard deviations (sd) lower and their current height is 0.23 sd lower.
These gaps are even larger for refugee infants born prior to migrating to
Turkey, suggesting that remaining deficits reflect conditions in the source
country prior to migration rather than deficits in access to maternal and
child health services within Turkey |
| Keywords: |
Syrian refugees, birthweight, anthropometric measures, forced displacement, Turkey |
| JEL: |
J61 O15 F22 R23 R58 |
| Date: |
2022–12 |
| URL: |
http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:crm:wpaper:2228&r= |