This project supports an anthropological study which will try to explain the common statistical finding that female school attendance reduces the risk to child survival in developing countries. Through a combination of methods in a small town in a rural area of Mexico, (community surveys, tests of maternal literacy, structured observations of mother-child interaction, archival materials on child health and mother's education, participant observation) the project will try to understand what factors in a mother's schooling translate into better child care. This project is important because variation in children's health is significant in the developing world, and better understanding of what factors reduce risks to health can help policy makers design programs to increase child health across the population.
