The fourth episode of my Stata screencasts are now available at Vimeo. This episode looks at how to examine the homoskedasticity and normality assumptions using graphs. It also covers how to export graphs from Stata using menus or do-files. You can find it using the link above or simply by using the embedded video below.http://vimeo.com/52205910
I finally caved and got myself a twitter account. You can see my tweets on the right or you can follow me by using this link: @clausportner
The third screencast on Stata is now available. This one covers how to set up and run simple do-file. Do files are the preferred way to run collections of Stata commands. You can find it below:http://vimeo.com/50950527
The next Stata screencast is now available. This one covers how to load data into Stata from Stata data files (.dta), Excel files, and comma separated data files.http://vimeo.com/50867247
The first screencast on Stata is now available. It covers the basic layout of Stata and some simple commands. Comments and suggestions are appreciated. You can find the video below.http://vimeo.com/50442074
Mark Anderson and I just finished revising our paper on high school dropouts and sexually transmitted infections. It has a new title: "High School Dropouts and Sexually Transmitted Infections". You can find the new version here.
People who drop out of high school fare worse in many aspects of life. We analyze whether there is an effect of dropping out of high school on the probability of contracting a sexually transmitted infection (STI). Previous studies on the relationship between dropout status and sexual outcomes have not empirically addressed self-selection effects. Using individual fixed effects estimations we find strong evidence that dropping out increases the risk of contracting an STI for females. Furthermore, we present evidence that illustrates differences between the romantic partners of dropouts versus enrolled students. These differences suggest that female dropouts may be more susceptible to contracting STIs because they partner with significantly different types of people than non-dropouts. Our results point to a previously undocumented benefit of encouraging those at risk of dropping out to stay in school longer.
Shamma Alam has been named as one of the seven 2012 Hewlett Foundation / IIE Dissertation Fellows. These fellowships support dissertation research on topics that examine how population dynamics, family planning and reproductive health influence economic development, including economic growth, poverty reduction, and equity. Shamma and I are currently working on a paper examining the effects of income shocks on timing of fertility and use of contraceptives in Tanzania. Shamma has also worked as my RA on my NSF grant. The official announcement and short bio of Shamma and the other recipients is here.
This announcement from Joe Philips, Dean of Albers School of Business and Economics, is mainly of interest for students at Seattle University: We are pleased to announce that the university’s International Development Internship Program (IDIP) will become part of the Albers School starting this academic year. Dr. Janet Quillian, who has directed the program since it started in 2001, will be joining the Albers School as part of our faculty, having served on the SU faculty since 1995. Janet’s disciplinary background is in nursing, with her undergraduate degree from the University of Nevada, master’s from Texas Women’s University, and doctorate from the University of Texas. If you are not already familiar with IDIP, it is truly one of the most distinctive programs at SU, offering undergraduate students from across the campus an opportunity to work with an NGO in emerging economies in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. A brief description of the program on the program website says: The International Development Internship Program (IDIP) is a 20 credit, three-phase academic program designed for undergraduate students. Students are challenged to explore the root causes and consequences of situations that undermine the well-being of individuals in the developing world. The goal of the IDIP Program is to instill in students a lifelong commitment to the Jesuit mission of service and promotion of social justice. Internships with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are available in Asia, Africa and Latin America. For more information on IDIP, check out the current website: http://www.seattleu.edu/IDIP/Inner.aspx?id=25084
This came out a little while ago, but has a nice summary of my work with Kathleen Beegle and Luc Christiaensen on the effectiveness of family planning programs in Ethiopia. You can read the post here.
I was in Bergen in June and presented my work with Kathleen Beegle and Luc Christiaensen on the effects of family planning on fertility at CMI and my work with Shamma Alam on income shocks and timing of fertility at Norwegian School of Economics. A new version of the family planning paper will be available soon and we should have the first public version of the timing of fertility paper ready soon as well.
I will be presenting Shamma Alam and my work on shocks and timing of fertility in Tanzania tomorrow (Friday 6 April) at the CSDE seminar series. There is no finished paper yet, but the abstract is below. Income Shocks, Contraceptive Use, and Timing of Fertility
This paper examines the relationship between household income shocks and fertility decisions. Using panel data from Tanzania, we estimate the impact of agricultural shocks on contraception use, pregnancy, and the likelihood of childbirth. To account for unobservable household characteristics that potentially affect both shocks and fertility decisions we employ an fixed effects model. Households significantly increase their contraception use in response to income shocks from crop loss. This comes from an increased use of both traditional contraceptive methods and modern contraceptives. The poorer the household the stronger the effect of income shock on contraceptive use is. Furthermore, pregnancies and childbirth are significantly delayed for households experiencing a crop shock. For both pregnancy and childbirth the likelihood of delay because of shocks increases the poorer the household. We argue that the changes in behavior are the result of deliberate decisions of the households rather than income shocks’ effects on other factors that influence fertility, such as women’s health status, the absence or migration of spouse, and dissolution of partnerships.
I was in Oxford in March for the 2012 CSAE Conference: Economic Development in Africa. I presented my paper on the impact of hurricane risk on fertility and education decisions. The conference was great and the quality of the papers continues to increase. You can find the latest version of the paper under "Research" on this website. A full program can be found here.
My paper on family planning programs in Ethiopia, joint with Kathleen Beegle and Luc Christiaesen, was selected for the October Development Research Group Monthly Research Highlight. The paper is World Bank Policy Research Working Paper No. 5812 and you can find it through SSRN or the World Bank.
Niels-Hugo Blunch and my paper, "Literacy, Skills, and Welfare: Effects of Participation in Adult Literacy Programs," is out in this issue of EDCC, vol 60(1): 17-66. You can find the published version on JSTOR, at http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/661219. It is rather long, 50 pages, but worth the read if you are interested in literacy programs.
It is World Bank Policy Research Working Paper No. 5812 and you can find it either through SSRN or the World Bank. If you pick SSRN I can keep track of the interest, which is always nice.