The Effect of Severe Natural Disaster on Fertility: Evidence from the 2010 Haiti Earthquake

• In Event: 149 - Regular Session. Fertility: Childbearing Decisions, Regrets, and Reassessments

Abstract

This paper contributes to the emerging scholarship on natural disasters and demographic processes by studying the effects of 2010 Haiti earthquake on reproductive behaviors, contraception access and fertility preferences. Our analysis considers how effects vary by schooling (a proxy for socioeconomic status), a neglected area of inquiry in existing literature on natural disasters and fertility. Using geocoded data from the 2005 and 2012 Haiti Demographic Health Survey, we exploit random geographic variation in the intensity of the Haiti earthquake to implement a Difference-in-Difference-in-Difference (DIDID) analytical strategy that compares changes in fertility outcomes over (i) earthquake intensity; (ii) time; and (iii) schooling. Our findings indicate that living in a violently or severely affected area positively affected current pregnancy and negatively affected current contraceptive use. These effects were particularly pronounced for less educated women, which has important implications for future fertility trends. Our analyses of impact pathways suggest that diminished access to contraception played an important role in explaining earthquake-related changes in pregnancy and contraception use—especially among the least educated. These findings highlight how disruptions to health care services following a severe natural disaster can contribute to uneven fertility trends across socioeconomic groups.

Authors

• Julia Andrea Behrman, New York University

• Abigail Weitzman, New York University