It is widely believed that health influences labor outcomes, particularly in low-income settings where malnutrition and infectious diseases are common and much work requires physical strength and stamina. Most previous studies of health and economic behavior have relied on the analysis of observational data, however, this makes inferences of causation problematic. Not only can health affect income and economic status but also socio-economic status may in turn affect health. In contrast, this pilot will prepare for a study to isolate the causal effect of health on labor by conducting a random assignment treatment-control experiment. Specifically, the larger study will investigate how a micronutrient supplement influences the economic and social productivity of adult and older men in rural Indonesia. The treatment group will receive a multi-vitamin and mineral supplement, including iron, while the control group will receive a placebo. This pilot will prepare for the larger study by: 1) Choosing an appropriate study site; 2) Establishing a representative population profile for numerous micronutritional markers; and 3) Developing a piloting intervention protocols to maximize respondent compliance. We highlight micronutrients because deficiencies in them are endemic in the developing world and because they play a key role in biological processes related to work efficacy. Numerous experimental studies have looked at the effects of micronutrition on health and physical and cognitive functioning, but very few have examined the economic impacts of select micronutrients such as iron, and none has explored the consequences of a general micronutritional supplement for economic productivity and other work outcomes. This is of particular interest since interactions between micronutrients may be important. While our main focus is on the effect of a health intervention on socioeconomic status, the study will shed light on the mechanisms through which nutrition affects work. In addition to contributing to the scientific literature, our results will be of substantial interest to economic and health policy makers.
