Stature and education among Roma women: taller stature is associated with better educational and economic outcomes

Height, wealth, and schooling outcomes in young women from lower- and middle-income countries

This study evaluates a large (N > 366,000) sample of young women (15-18 years) from 64 lower- and middle-income countries for associations between height, household wealth, and schooling outcomes, with a focus on secondary school attendance. A pooled sample and regional samples (Latin America, South/Southeast Asia, East Africa, and West Africa) are evaluated. A dual purpose is to evaluate both associations between height and schooling, and potential height-wealth interactions such that height associations to schooling vary over levels of wealth. Ordered probit analysis indicates positive marginal probabilities from height on secondary school attendance in all samples, with diminishing probabilities in the Latin America and South/SE Asia samples, and flat/increasing probabilities in the African samples. For South/SE Asia and taller women in Latin America, height associations are stronger at lower household wealth. For both African samples and shorter women in Latin America, height associations are stronger at higher wealth. The findings suggest that the height-schooling relationship may derive from the influence from early-life health, and may also be affected by differences in health and education environments as suggested by variations across regions and height-wealth interactions within regions.

Paternal investment, stepfather presence and early child development and growth among Serbian Roma

Research on paternal investment and child growth and development is limited outside of high-income countries. Using nationally representative data from low-resource Serbian Roma communities, this study examined father investment (direct care), its predictors and the associations between paternal investment, stepfather presence and child physical growth and early development. The sample included 1222 children aged 35-59 months, out of which 235 were living with biological fathers. Child outcomes included height-for-age Z-scores, stunting and early child developmental score. Roma paternal investment was relatively low. There was a positive association of father investment and children's height, and no association with developmental score. The presence of father vs. stepfather did not exert any influence on children. Instead, maternal and child characteristics explained both the overall development and height for Roma children. Thus, older children, born to literate, lower parity mothers of higher status and greater investment had better developmental and growth outcomes; girls were the preferred sex, owing to expected fitness benefits. Reverse causality emerged as the most likely pathway through which the cross-sectional association of father direct care with child growth may manifest, such that Roma fathers tend to bias their investment towards taller, more endowed children, because of greater fitness pay-off.

Child Wantedness and Low Weight at Birth: Differential Parental Investment among Roma

Studies investigating child wantedness, birthweight and parental care are limited. This study assessed relationships of child wantedness, low birthweight and differential parental investment in a poor population of Serbian Roma. Data from the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey round 5 for Roma settlements were used to account for the association between child wantedness and birthweight, and three measures of parental investment: breastfeeding practices, immunization of children and quality of mother-child interaction. The sample included 584 children aged 0-24 months. The child variables were gender, birth order, birthweight (low birthweight at <2500 g and normal birthweight at >2500 g) and whether the child was wanted, while maternal independent variables included age, literacy and household wealth. The results show that unwanted children were at greater risk of having low birthweight. After controlling for birthweight, child wantedness emerged as a predictor of breastfeeding practices and immunization status: Roma mothers biased their investment toward children who were wanted. The quality of mother-child interaction varied with the mother's household wealth. Given the high rates of infant and child mortality among Roma, investments in children's health should be prioritized within the family, where maternal bias in parental investment may contribute to their children's health disparities.