Scandinavian Working Papers in Economics

Working Paper Series, Center for Labor Studies,
Uppsala University, Department of Economics

No 2013:13: Revisiting the Educational Effects of Fetal Iodine Deficiency

Niklas Bengtsson (), Stefan Peterson () and Fredrik Sävje ()
Additional contact information
Niklas Bengtsson: Uppsala Center for Labor Studies, Postal: Department of Economics, Uppsala University, P.O. Box 513, SE-751 20 Uppsala, Sweden
Stefan Peterson: Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Postal: Department of Women's and, Children's Health, Uppsala University and School of Public Health, Makerere University.
Fredrik Sävje: Uppsala Center for Labor Studies, Postal: Department of Economics, Uppsala University, P.O. Box 513, SE-751 20 Uppsala, Sweden

Abstract: Recent research has reported positive effects on schooling due to in utero protection from iodine deficiency resulting from iodized oil capsule distribution in Tanzania. We revisit the Tanzanian experience by investigating how these effects differ over time and across surveys; across different treatment specifications; and across additional educational outcome measures. Contrary to previous studies, we find that the estimated effects tend to be small and not robust across specifications or samples. Using all available data and a medically motivated iodine depletion function, we find no evidence of a positive long-run effect of iodine deficiency protection on educational attainment.

Keywords: Iodine de ciency; Education; Prenatal exposure; Multiple outcomes; Replication; Field; Robles; Torero

JEL-codes: I12; I21; J16; O15

48 pages, October 25, 2013

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