Participation in the Juntos Conditional Cash Transfer Program in Peru Is Associated with Changes in Child Anthropometric Status but Not Language Development or School Achievement. Issue 10 (12th August 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Andersen, Christopher T; Reynolds, Sarah A; Behrman, Jere R; Crookston, Benjamin T; Dearden, Kirk A; Escobal, Javier; Mani, Subha; Sánchez, Alan; Stein, Aryeh D; Fernald, Lia CH
• Is Part Of: Journal of nutrition. Volume 145:Issue 10(2015)
• Page Start: 2396
• Page End: 2405
• Publication Date: 2015-08-12
• Subjects: Juntos -- conditional cash transfer -- height-for-age -- stunting -- body mass index-for-age -- overweight -- receptive vocabulary -- children -- cohort study -- Peru; Nutrition -- Periodicals; Diet -- Periodicals; 613.205
• DOI: 10.3945/jn.115.213546
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-3166

Abstract

Abstract: Background: It is unclear what effects a conditional cash transfer (CCT) program would have on child anthropometry, language development, or school achievement in the context of the nutrition transition experienced by many low- and middle-income countries. Objective: We estimated the association of participation in Peru's Juntos CCT with anthropometry, language development, and school achievement among children aged 7–8 y. Methods: We used data from the Young Lives Study of a cohort born between 2001 and 2002. We estimated associations of the Juntos program with height-for-age z score (HAZ), body mass index–for–age z score (BAZ), stunting, and overweight at age 7–8 y separately for children participating in the program for ≥2 y ( n = 169) and children participating for <2 y ( n = 188). We then estimated associations with receptive vocabulary and grade achievement among children who had been assessed at age 4–6 y before enrollment in Juntos ( n = 243). We identified control subjects using propensity score matching and conducted difference-in-differences comparisons. Results: Juntos participation was associated with increases in HAZ among boys participating for ≥2 y [average effect of treatment among the treated (ATT): 0.43; 95% CI: 0.09, 0.77; P = 0.01] and for boys participating for <2 y (ATT: 0.52; 95% CI: 0.23, 0.80; P < 0.01). Among girls participating in the program for ≥2 y, BAZ declined (ATT: –0.60; 95% CI: –1.00, –0.21; P < 0.01) as did the prevalence of overweight (ATT: –22.0 percentage points; 95% CI: –42.5, –2.7 percentage points; P = 0.03). We observed no significant associations of Juntos participation with receptive vocabulary or grade attainment. Conclusions: CCT program participation in Peru was associated with better linear growth among boys and decreased BAZ among girls, highlighting that a large-scale poverty-alleviation intervention may influence anthropometric outcomes in the context of the nutrition transition.