The effect of social assistance on kin relationships: evidence from Roma communities

The impact of welfare on maternal investment and sibling competition: evidence from Serbian Roma communities

Siblings compete for limited parental resources, which can result in a trade-off between family size and child growth outcomes. Welfare incentives may improve parental circumstances in large families by compensating for the additional costs of an extra child and increasing the resources available to a family. The improvements in conditions may influence parents to increase their investment, expecting greater returns from the investment in child survival and development, while in turn increase sibling competition for the investment. This study assessed whether welfare benefits have influenced parental investment trade-offs and competition between siblings among Serbian Roma, a population largely dependent on welfare. Using data from the UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 6, this study assessed the associations between maternal investment, child cash benefits, sibship size, and child anthropometry, as an indicator of health, among 1096 Serbian Roma children aged 0 to 59 months. Living in a small family benefited Roma children, while the incentives increased competition between siblings. Maternal investment was negatively associated with incentives, as the improvements brought about were insufficient to influence a change in maternal perceptions about the local setting uncertainty and thus promote an increase in investment.

Do unwanted children face growth penalties in resource poor environments? Evidence from Roma Settlements in Serbia

In a high fertility context, research on the relationship between parental investment, unwanted births and child nutritional outcomes is limited. The implications may be especially relevant for children coming from the most disadvantaged backgrounds and at increased risk of nutritional deprivation. This study assessed the association between maternal investment, unwanted births disaggregated into mistimed and unwanted children, and child nutritional outcomes in a poor population of Serbian Roma. Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys rounds 5 and 6 data for Serbian Roma settlements were used to account for the association between two measures of maternal investment: weight at birth and parity, and mistimed and unwanted children, and children height-for-age z-score (HAZ), weight-for-age z score (WAZ) and weight-for- height z-score (WHZ). The sample included 130 children aged 0-24 months. The child variables were age, gender, and birth order, while maternal independent variables included age, literacy and access to improved toilet facility as proxies for socioeconomic status. Children born with low birth weight (lower maternal investment in utero) face a significant deficit in terms of their nutritional outcomes, measured by HAZ and WAZ. The effect was aggravated for height if the child was unwanted while there was a positive relationship between access to improved toilet facility and WHZ. Unwanted children were of higher birth order, with older, higher parity mothers than mistimed children. Many of the Roma children may be at risk of undernutrition, however, Roma children who received lower maternal investment in utero, unwanted and living in poorest households may face additional risk.

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.