Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2013

Abstract

Household investment in preventative health products in developing countries is typically low even though the returns to such products are high. In this paper, we experimentally estimate demand curves for health products and test whether (1) information about health risk, (2) cash liquidity, (3) peer effects, and (4) intra-household differences in preferences affect demand. In our main experiment in Kenya involving children’s shoes - critical for preventing hookworm infection - price is by far the most important predictor of purchase. Providing liquidity and targeting women also increased demand. Information had no effect even though we find that genuine learning occurred. We find no peer effects even though people discussed the product purchase decision extensively. We find similar results for price and information in three smaller studies in Guatemala, India, and Uganda in experiments involving soap and multivitamins.

Comments

NOTICE: this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Journal of Development Economics. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in: Jennifer Meredith, Jonathan Robinson, Sarah Walker, Bruce Wydick. Keeping the doctor away: Experimental evidence on investment in preventative health products. Journal of Development Economics. Volume 105, November 2013, Pages 196–210. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jdeveco.2013.08.003

Supplementary material to this work can also accessed at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jdeveco.2013.08.003

DOI

10.1016/j.jdeveco.2013.08.003

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