Sensitivity of Educational, Maternal, and Mental Health Outcomes from Income Redistribution Fluctuations in South African Children

Introduction This study utilizes a 2SLS model to quantify the sensitivity of education outcome (academic failure), mental health outcome (depression), and maternal health outcome (teenage pregnancy) from income redistribution fluctuations recorded in 2006, 2009, 2011, and 2015 in South African disadvantage children attending primary and secondary education.

Methods Using the General Household Survey data for South Africa, the author examines these sensitivities among 93438 children aged 7–18 across the four waves.

Results The model shows that income redistribution averts depression by 36 % and 15% during the period of high-income redistribution in the primary and secondary school cohorts, respectively. Income redistribution averts academic failure by 44 % and 23 % during the period of high redistribution in primary and secondary school cohorts. Income redistribution also averts teenage pregnancy by 7 % during the period of high-income redistribution. Low redistribution periods are characterised bymeek improvements in education, mental, and maternal health outcomes.

Conclusion The author concluded that the intensity of income redistribution plays a crucial role in improving education outcomes, mental health outcomes, and maternal health outcomes of disadvantaged children.

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Not applicable

The datasets used in this study are openly available at [repository link] and the source code is available on GitHub at [GitHub link].

This work did not receive any external funding.