The long-term impact of education on dietary diversity among women in Zimbabwe

Abstract

Education is perceived to have a positive impact on a variety of health outcomes, but it is unclear how causal this association is, and what could account for the observed relationship, especially in low-income countries. Using individual-level survey data from Zimbabwe, this study examined the educational gradient in dietary diversity among young women. The empirical analysis employed a parametric fuzzy regression discontinuity design, with school reform exposure serving as an instrumental variable for educational attainment. The results show that a one-year increase in schooling improves dietary diversity by approximately 17 percent and enhances the probability of consuming vitamin A- or iron-rich foods by approximately 11.4 and 9.6 percentage points, respectively. Our analysis also yielded possible explanations for the observed educational gradient in dietary diversity linked to improved access to information, literacy, prenatal care, household wealth, urban residence, and intra-household competition for food resources. The results suggest that expanding secondary schooling opportunities, especially for young girls in developing countries such as Zimbabwe, could be a useful policy strategy to promote healthy eating among young women and consequently improve population health outcomes.