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 ND NewsWire
- To prevent opioid misuse in teens and young adults, researchers turn to AI and social media dataResearchers at Notre Dame are developing a new artificial intelligence-driven paradigm built on social media data to provide insights into personalized interventions for reducing opioid misuse and death among teens and young adults.
- Notre Dame receives significant gift from the Ernestine Morris Carmichael Raclin estateThe Raclin Murphy Museum of Art at the University of Notre Dame is the beneficiary of a significant gift of paintings, sculptures, and decorative art objects from the estate of Ernestine Morris Carmichael Raclin.
- Firms that withdrew from Russia following Ukraine invasion earn higher consumer sentimentCorporate decisions to withdraw from Russia during the Ukraine war positively impacted consumer sentiment, especially for companies with strong ESG reputations, according to new research from Shankar Ganesan, Notre Dame's Raymond W. and Kenneth G. Herrick Collegiate Professor of Marketing.
- ND Expert Sean Kassen: Statement on first FDA-approved treatment for Niemann-Pick Type C diseaseToday, the FDA announced the first approved treatment for Niemann-Pick Type C (NPC) disease: an oral medication named Miplyffa (arimoclomol). Sean Kassen, director of the Ara Parseghian Medical Research Fund at the University of Notre Dame, said this represents the beginning of a new and hopeful era for NPC families.
- Notre Dame juniors Faiza Filali, Angela Olvera named Obama-Chesky Voyager ScholarsUniversity of Notre Dame juniors Faiza Filali and Angela Olvera have been named to the third cohort of Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholars. They are Notre Dame’s second and third Voyager Scholars after senior Raleigh Kuipers, who recently returned from Latin America as a member of the second cohort.
- Notre Dame theologian to receive 2024 Ratzinger Prize from VaticanCyril O’Regan, the Catherine F. Huisking Professor of Theology at the University of Notre Dame, has been selected to receive the 2024 Ratzinger Prize in Theology, widely regarded as the most prestigious award in the field. Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state, will present the award to O’Regan and to sculptor Etsurō Sotoo during a ceremony at the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City on Nov. 22. Both winners will also have an audience with Pope Francis earlier that day.