Protecting infants from natural disasters: The case of vitamin A supplementation and a tornado in Bangladesh

A-Tier
Journal: Journal of Development Economics
Year: 2022
Volume: 158
Issue: C

Authors (8)

Gunnsteinsson, Snaebjorn (not in RePEc) Molina, Teresa (University of Hawaii-Manoa) Adhvaryu, Achyuta (not in RePEc) Christian, Parul (not in RePEc) Labrique, Alain (not in RePEc) Sugimoto, Jonathan (not in RePEc) Shamim, Abu Ahmed (not in RePEc) West, Keith P. (not in RePEc)

Score contribution per author:

0.503 = (α=2.01 / 8 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

Environmental disasters have increased in frequency and intensity as a result of climate change. Can timely intervention help protect against the health impacts of these disasters? We study this question by leveraging data from a double-blind cluster-randomized controlled trial of at-birth vitamin A supplementation, which boosts immune system functioning, in Bangladesh. During the trial, a large tornado swept through the study area, affecting both treatment and control clusters. Tornado exposure in infancy decreased physical growth and increased the incidence of severe fevers. But infants who received supplementation were protected from these negative effects.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:eee:deveco:v:158:y:2022:i:c:s0304387822000724
Journal Field
Development
Author Count
8
Added to Database
2026-01-26