This paper studies the network effects of kinship-based informal insurance on fertility and child health. Using demographic data from Malawi and exploiting differences between the patrilineal and matrilineal kinship in the composition of family network groups, this paper finds that the death of an adult in an insurance network significantly reduces fertility. While we find no evidence of intrah...

This article examines the influence of maternal status, socioeconomic status of the household, and household composition on the mobility of children aged 0-14 in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa, from 1999 to 2008. Using data from the Agincourt Health and Demographic Surveillance System, we found that children whose mothers were temporary migrants, living elsewhere, or dead had higher odds of ...

BACKGROUND Household characteristics are important influences on the risk of child death. However, little is known about this influence in HIV-endemic areas. We describe the effects of household characteristics on children's risk of dying in rural South Africa. METHODS We use data describing the mortality of children younger than 5 years living in the Agincourt health and socio-demographic su...