Investing in Health: The Long-Term Impact of Head Start
Working Paper No. 04-W26
Kathryn Anderson, James Foster, and David Frisvold
ABSTRACT [article]
Head Start is a comprehensive, early childhood development program designed to augment the human capital and health capital levels of disadvantaged children. Grossman's (1972) health capital model suggests that early investments of this type should have lasting effects on health outcomes. This research evaluates the impact of Head Start on long-term health by comparing health outcome and behavioral indicators of adults who attended Head Start with those of siblings who did not. The results suggest that there are long-term health benefits from participation in Head Start and that these benefits result from lifestyle changes.
Keywords and Phrases: Early childhood education, Head Start, health, health capital, health disparities, human capital, program evaluation
JEL Classification Number: H51, I12, I21, I38