Ethnic Diversity and Child Health: New Insights From Ghana

ABSTRACT This study examines the impact of ethnic diversity on child health in Ghana using nationally representative panel data. We assess whether greater community‐level ethnic heterogeneity is associated with poorer child health outcomes and explore poverty and access to prenatal care as potential mechanisms. To address endogeneity, we employ an instrumental variable strategy using historical regional ethnic diversity. The results show that higher ethnic heterogeneity is significantly associated with worse child health, particularly in rural areas, with poverty and limited prenatal care access identified as key mediating channels. These findings underscore the importance of poverty reduction and improved maternal healthcare provision in ethnically diverse communities.