Maternal education and childrenʼs well-being: evidence from four Pacific countries

We study the correlational relationship between maternal education and childrenʼs well-being in four Pacific countries. We exploit the richness of the Multiple Indicator Clustering Survey (MICS) dataset to investigate this relationship and its underlying mechanisms. We find that the number of years of schooling attained by mothers is positively correlated with the likelihood of children being overweight and the Early Childhood Development Index (ECDI) score, while it is negatively associated with child stunting. These patterns are mainly driven by the Kiribati and Samoa country samples, potentially due to larger sample sizes. Further investigation reveals that the number of years of schooling attained by mothers indirectly affects these outcomes through better caring practices and the higher likelihood of enrolment in early childhood education (ECE). Our findings suggest that improving access to education for women should be complemented by efforts to disseminate targeted maternal and parenting knowledge and enhance access to ECE to better support childrenʼs well-being.