The Cost of Being a Stepchild: Evidence From Vietnam

This study examines the association between family structure and children's health and educational outcomes in Vietnam. We find that children living with a single parent, either due to divorce or widowhood, tend to experience lower levels of health and education compared to those in nuclear families. In stepfamilies, we distinguish stepchildren from children who are the joint biological offspring of both parents. Overall, there are no significant differences in health and education between the joint children of both parents in blended families and children in nuclear families. However, for small children we find a large difference in health between stepchildren and the biological children of both parents. Specifically, being a stepchild is associated with a 4.4% reduction in height and a 13.9% reduction in weight for children aged 0-6. Among children aged 11 and above, stepchild status is associated with a significantly lower likelihood of school enrollment and completion of lower-secondary education.