Focus: Education, Aging, Health, Fertility, Labour Markets
Geographical Focus: India, USA, UK, Europe
PUBLICATIONS
Education and Fertility: A Review of Recent Research in Europe
Sindhu Vasireddy, Ann Berrington, Bernice Kuang, Hill Kulu. 2023. Comparative Population Studies, (48).
Black–White Differences in Offspring Educational Attainment and Older Parents’ Dementia
Jenjira Yahirun, Sindhu Vasireddy, Mark Hayward. 2023. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 0(0).
The Education of Family Members, Linked Lives, and the Life Course Pathways to Cognitive Impairment
Jenjira Yahirun, Sindhu Vasireddy, Mark Hayward. 2020. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B. gbaa039.
Labor Market Adjustment to Third Party Competition: Evidence from Mexico
, , Sindhu Vasireddy. 2020. The World Economy. 43: 1977– 2006.
Scenario-based fertility projections incorporating impacts of COVID-19
Ann Berrington, Joanne Ellison, Bernice Kuang, Sindhu Vasireddy, Hill Kulu. 2021. Population, Space, and Place.
What is the likely impact of COVID-19 on fertility in the UK?
Ann Berrington, Joanne Ellison, Bernice Kuang, Sindhu Vasireddy, Hill Kulu. 2022. Centre for Population Change. Series Number: 66. Policy Briefing.
Recent trends in UK fertility and potential impacts of COVID-19
Ann Berrington, Joanne Ellison, Bernice Kuang, Sindhu Vasireddy, Hill Kulu. 2021. Centre for Population Change. Series Number: 95. Working paper.
Twenty years of having babies across different countries of the UK: How has parents’ partnership status changed?
Bernice Kuang, Sindhu Vasireddy, Ann Berrington, Hill Kulu. 2020. University of Southampton, Center for Population Change. Series Number: 56. Policy Briefing.
WORK IN PROGRESS
Association between Depression and Food Insecurity among Indian Older Adults
Sindhu Vasireddy & T. V. Sekher
This paper explores the association between food insecurity and depression in India and is the first to do so using longitudinal data enabling us to examine both the prevalence and incidence of depression. Existing literature reports a positive association between food insecurity and depression. We concur and add to this by observing the continued prevalence of this association in recent times. In addition, we construct a panel from 2007-2015 to understand the relationship between the severity of food insecurity and the onset and offset of depression in India. Our results indicate that an increase in the severity of food insecurity over the years is strongly associated with the onset of depression; and similarly, a decrease in the severity of food insecurity is strongly associated with the alleviation of depressive symptoms even after controlling for numerous health behaviors and conditions. In addition to health counselors and psychological support, this study fortifies the necessity for policies and interventions targeted to lessen hunger and improve the affordability of food in alleviating depression in India.
Linkages between Intergenerational Education and Cognitive Health in India
Sindhu Vasireddy & T. V. Sekher
The Interrelationships between Partnership Dynamics and Fertility Trends in Europe and the US: A Review.
Bernice Kuang, Sindhu Vasireddy, Ann Berrington, Hill Kulu
Trade Liberalization and Infant Mortality: Evidence from India
(Sole-authored)
India initiated trade reforms in 1991, cutting down the tariff rates on imports. I study the impact of this policy on infant mortality in India and find that districts more exposed to trade show higher infant mortality overall and for each of the genders. I explain this using a decline in household consumption, female employment, and the reduced utilization of healthcare amenities. Exploring the heterogeneous impact of tariff cuts on Indian households, I find that infant mortality declines for girls born in poorer and lower caste households, driven by an increase in female employment despite lower household consumption. I also find that poorer women in districts more exposed to tariff cuts on imports show a growth in the utilization of healthcare facilities vital to infant health as opposed to women from higher socio-economic strata driving the opposing welfare results across socio-economic groups. Using the evidence, I argue that the trade policies aimed at female empowerment can boost the health of children, especially daughters, and mitigate the impacts of poverty deepening in India.
Son Preference, Differential Stopping Behavior, and the Fertility Outcomes
(Sole-authored, Received the Burnham Campbell Award, Department of Economics, University of Hawai’i at Manoa, for the academic years 2017-2018 and 2018-2019)
I study son preference through gender-biased differential stopping behavior and its impact on fertility outcomes in India. Existing literature indicates that parents with a high preference for sons use contraceptive methods to halt fertility following a male birth. I find that this differential stopping behavior favoring male children leads to reproductive decision-making where people decide to have a higher number of pregnancies, births, and lower contraceptive usage if the first-born child is female, leading towards girls being concentrated in larger families when compared to boys. These fertility outcomes prevail across households with lower fertility rates and differ by the age of the mother. I find further evidence in terms of health outcomes to show that having an older brother improves the survival chances of the second child, especially if the second child is female.
The Effects of California’s Paid Family Leave Policy on the Health of Caregivers to Their Parents
Sindhu Vasireddy, Hua Zan
This study aims to examine whether California’s paid family leave policy, which was implemented in 2004, has an effect on the health of caregivers to their older adult parents. Specifically, we analyze 1994-2014 data from Health and Retirement Study to explore the changes in self-reported health status and mental health attributed to the policy among adult children who provide personal care to their parents, using difference-in-differences and difference-in-difference-in-differences models. We expect to find positive effects of California’s paid family leave policy on caregiver health.
Impact of Informal Care, Travel Distance, and Stress on Retirement Decision Making
Sindhu Vasireddy, Ivan Sanidad, Lawrence H. Nitz. 2017. Innovation in Aging, Volume 1, Issue suppl_1, July, Page 606. Working paper.