Does Deworming Improve Growth and School Performance in Children? Evidence-Based Policy on Deworming
2009
Deworming and Its Impact on Children
publication
Evidence: high
Author Information
Author(s): Donald A. P. Bundy, Michael Kremer, Hoyt Bleakley, Matthew C. H. Jukes, Edward Miguel
Hypothesis
Does deworming improve growth and school performance in children?
Conclusion
Mass school-based deworming is highly cost-effective and significantly improves school participation and health outcomes.
Supporting Evidence
- Deworming is shown to be a cost-effective way to increase school participation.
- Studies indicate that deworming has a high benefit to cost ratio.
- Treatment externalities can lead to underestimation of the true effects of deworming.
Takeaway
Deworming helps kids grow better and do better in school, and it doesn't cost much to do.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to reliance on reported data for school attendance and sample attrition affecting results.
Limitations
Many studies on deworming do not adequately address treatment externalities, cognitive outcomes, and sample attrition.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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