Title: The potential of NILS for studying peer effects in health: A case study of fertility amongst neighbours using a natural experiment

Abstract:

Our neighbours can potentially influence our behaviour. For instance, poor health behaviours amongst neighbours may normalise and reinforce our own poor health behaviours. This is an example of a peer effect. A shortage of data on peers (e.g. neighbours); homophily and violation of SUTVA are the main obstacles to measuring peer effects.  

The Northern Ireland Longitudinal Study (NILS) is a study consisting of 28% of the NI census and roughly 50% of all households. Household information from NILS is linked to a database of all addressable properties in NI. In theory, NILS contains relatively complete information on households and their next-door neighbours.

Using this information, it is possible to study the peer effects of any intervention provided that a valid experimental design exists (inclusive of natural experiments). I present an example pilot study using a well-known natural experiment to test whether Neighbour A's fertility (i.e. number of children in the household) affects Neighbour B's fertility.

I will begin my talk with a showcase of other spatially informed causal designs that I have worked on.

Biography:

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