Rigorous new study debunks misconceptions about anemia, education
In low- and middle-income countries, anemia reduction efforts are often touted as a way to improve educational outcomes and reduce poverty. A new study, co-authored by a global health economics expert from the University of Notre Dame, evaluates the relationship between anemia and school attendance in India, debunking earlier research that could have misguided policy interventions.
Santosh Kumar, associate professor of development and global health economics at Notre Dame’s Keough School of Global Affairs, is co-author of the study, published in Communications Medicine. Kumar’s research explores the intersection of global health and poverty reduction. His latest work evaluates the relationship between anemia and school attendance in India.
The study investigated whether there was a link between anemia and school attendance in more than 250,000 adolescents ages 15 to 18. Earlier observational studies have shown a link between anemia and attendance, even after accounting for variables such as gender and household wealth, according to Kumar. But the new study, which applied more rigorous econometric statistical analysis, did not find such a link, he said.
“Most previous research on this topic has used conventional study designs or focused on small geographical areas, which limits its policy relevance,” Kumar said. “Earlier estimates may have been distorted by unobserved household factors related to both anemia and school attendance. So in this study, we focused on the relationship between anemia and attendance among adolescents who were living in the same household.
“Ultimately,” Kumar said, “we found that the link between anemia and schooling is more muted than previously suggested by studies that did not consider household-level factors.”
The findings have important implications for policymakers seeking to improve education in low- and middle-income countries like India, Kumar said. India has widespread school attendance issues and struggles with health conditions such as anemia caused by iron deficiency, particularly in children and adolescents. The country has pushed to improve educational outcomes, in keeping with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, Kumar said. But to achieve that, he said, more research is needed to pinpoint an evidence-based intervention.
This study is part of an ongoing project to do that work and was co-authored with Jan-Walter De Neve of the University of Heidelberg, Omar Karlsson of Lund University in Sweden, Rajesh Kumar Rai of Harvard University and Sebastian Vollmer of the University of Göttingen. The project received funding from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the Swedish Research Council and the West Bengal State Department of Health and Family Welfare in India.
The latest study builds on an earlier one in which Kumar and fellow researchers helped evaluate the results of an iron fortification school lunch program for students ages 7 and 8 in India. That study showed that fortification reduced anemia but did not affect students’ performance in school. A forthcoming study, set to launch in summer 2024, will look at iron fortification for children ages 3 to 5. The research hypothesis is that an early-age nutritional intervention among preschoolers would make a significant impact on physical and cognitive development.
“Our findings have implications for policymakers who want to improve educational outcomes and reduce poverty,” Kumar said. “Effective policies are based on evidence. We need more rigorous statistical analysis to examine the causal relationship between anemia and education.
“This work ties into my larger research agenda, which explores the intersection of global health and poverty reduction. I want to use my academic research to support human dignity by helping to identify evidence-based health policies that will make a tangible difference in people’s lives.”
Originally published by Josh Stowe at keough.nd.edu on June 12.
Contact: Tracy DeStazio, associate director of media relations, 574-631-9958 or tdestazi@nd.edu
Latest Colleges & Schools
- 'Hybrid’ disaster response shows how localization saves livesThe earthquake that struck southwest Haiti in August 2021 killed thousands of people and left more than half a million seeking help. New research by a University of Notre Dame expert finds that the assessment of this disaster can serve as a model for evaluating future disasters and making life-saving improvements.
- Keough School and Organization of American States partner to protect democracy and human rightsThe University of Notre Dame’s Keough School of Global Affairs and the Organization of American States have launched a new partnership to strengthen democracy and defend human rights efforts across Latin America. To that end, the institutions will collaborate on joint research and policy projects, exchange faculty experts and train undergraduate and postgraduate students and researchers who work in development, human rights and democracy.
- Democrats grapple with virtual versus in-person formats at national conventionThe Democratic Party is considering a virtual format for its 2024 Democratic National Convention much like the one held in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. A recent survey conducted by a political scientist at the University of Notre Dame asked the delegates to the 2020 convention how they felt about the virtual format and found that while most of them considered the event a success, a large majority of them would prefer to attend in person to foster unity among party activists.
- Swifties unite after ‘The Great War’ to make a move into politicsNew research from political scientists at the University of Notre Dame found that the botched ticket presales for Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” in late 2022 made it nearly impossible for most Swift fans to get tickets, forcing them to pay attention to event ticketing politics — namely the lack of market competition, consumer rights and wealth inequality — and galvanizing them to speak out on those issues and hold their elected officials accountable.
- Political elites take advantage of anti-partisan protests to disrupt politicsProtest movements that reject political parties have an unintended consequence, according to new research from the Keough School of Global Affairs: They empower savvy politicians who channel them to shake up the status quo. The findings provide a framework for understanding recent global political realignments and offer lessons for activists who want to make a meaningful impact.
- Mendoza College of Business partners with Xavier University of LouisianaMendoza’s partnership with Xavier, the nation’s only Catholic and historically Black university, provides qualified students with a pathway to the college’s specialized master’s programs.
