Peer effects on teenage fertility: Social transmission mechanisms and policy recommendations

Citation

Fletcher, Jason M. & Yakusheva, Olga (2016). Peer effects on teenage fertility: Social transmission mechanisms and policy recommendations. American Journal of Health Economics. vol. 2 (3) pp. 300-317

Abstract

We present instrumental variable results suggesting that the likelihood of having a teenage pregnancy is influenced by peers. We show that the instruments (peer-level teen childbearing of mothers and the average age of menarche) are plausibly exogenous across cohorts of students attending the same school. The estimates are large—a 10 percentage point increase in peer pregnancies is associated with a 2–5 percentage point greater likelihood of own-pregnancy. Peer influence is greater in environments with other policy factors that also increase teenage pregnancy rates and may operate primarily through shaping social norms rather than information or knowledge-sharing mechanisms.

URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1162/AJHE_a_00046

Reference Type

Journal Article

Journal Title

American Journal of Health Economics

Author(s)

Fletcher, Jason M.
Yakusheva, Olga

Year Published

2016

Volume Number

2

Issue Number

3

Pages

300-317

Edition

July 8, 2016

ISSN/ISBN

2332-3493

DOI

10.1162/AJHE_a_00046

Reference ID

7846