research

publication

Selection and Behavioral Responses of Health Insurance Subsidies in the Long Run: Evidence from a Field Experiment in Ghana with Patrick Asuming and Hyuncheol Bryant Kim
Health Economics, 2024, 33(5): 992–1032.

[abstract] We study the effects of a health insurance subsidy in Ghana, where mandates are not enforceable. We randomly provide different levels of subsidy (1/3, 2/3, and full) and evaluate the impact at seven months and three years after the intervention. We find that a one-time subsidy increased insurance enrollment for all groups in both the short and long runs, but health care utilization in the long run increased only for the partial subsidy group. We find supportive evidence that ex-post behavioral responses rather than ex-ante selective enrollment explain the long-run health care utilization results.

Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy using Local Ambassadors: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Indonesia with Asad Islam, Gita Kusnadi, Jahen Rezki, Giovanni van Empel, Michael Vlassopoulos, and Yves Zenou
Data collection was conducted by Institute for Economic and Social Research, University of Indonesia (LPEM FEB UI)
European Economic Review, 2024, 163, 104683

[abstract] In settings where resistance and rampant misinformation against vaccines exist, the prospect of containing infectious diseases remains a challenge. Can delivery of information regarding the benefits of vaccination through personal home visits by local ambassadors increase vaccine uptake? We conduct a door-to-door randomized information campaign targeted towards COVID-19 unvaccinated individuals in rural Indonesia. We recruited ambassadors from local villages tasked to deliver information about COVID-19 vaccines and promote vaccination through one-on-one meetings, using an interpersonal behavioral change communication approach. To investigate which type of ambassador—health cadres, influential individuals, and laypersons—is the most effective, we randomly vary the type of ambassador that delivers the information at the village level. We find that the overall vaccination take-up is quite moderate and that there are no differences in vaccination outcomes across the treatment groups. These results highlight the challenge of boosting vaccine uptake in late stages of a pandemic.

The Consequences of Child Market Work on the Growth of Human Capital with Asep Suryahadi and Daniel Suryadarma
World Development, 2017, 91: 144–155.

[abstract] The paper measures the effect of child market work on the long-term growth of human capital, focusing on the output of the human capital production: mathematics skills, cognitive skills, pulmonary function, and educational attainment. Our full sample is drawn from a rich longitudinal dataset Indonesia Family Life Survey (IFLS). We address endogeneity of child market work using provincial legislated minimum wage as the instrument. Our instrumental variable estimation shows that child labor negatively affects mathematics skills and pulmonary function, but not cognitive skills and educational attainment. We find heterogeneities in type of work. Those who work outside of family business have lower educational attainment than those working for family business.


working papers

Sink or Swim: Testing the Role of Science vs Religion in Raising Environmental Awareness in Indonesia with Sarah Gultom, Alyas Widita, Umair Khalil, Wang Lee,

[abstract] Shifting beliefs and encouraging pro-sustainability behaviors to mitigate climate and environmental issues can be challenging due to their polarizing nature. This challenge is particularly concerning in Jakarta, the world's fastest sinking city, where many residents remain uninformed about land subsidence—its causes, severity, and implications. We conduct a large-scale online experiment to understand how to effectively communicate this environmental threat. We vary the perceived identity of the messenger (as a religious leader or scientist) and the narrative style of the video message (religious or scientific). Our results show that any version of message, compared to a placebo, shifts beliefs about causes and consequences of subsidence, increases pro-sustainability behaviors, self-efficacy, and institutional trust in addressing the issue. The messenger's perceived identity as a scientist---rated as more persuasive and trustworthy than an Imam---generates larger impacts on beliefs regardless of narrative style. A scientist delivering a religious narrative is effective in encouraging participants to spread awareness, while an Imam is better at building trust across stakeholders. Effects on beliefs are more pronounced among those with low prior knowledge, high institutional trust, and less reliance on groundwater. However, heterogeneous treatment effects on actions are limited even among the least informed. Overall, our findings demonstrate how perceived identity and narrative framing shapes public understanding of and action on environmental challenges.

Unlocking Immunity: Strategies for Cost-Effective Promotion of COVID-19 Vaccination in Developing Countries with Asad Islam, Hyuncheol Bryant Kim, and Deb Prakashi
Data collection was conducted by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur

Import Restriction, Price Shock, and Local Policy Responses: Evidence from Indonesia


works in progress

Anticipatory and Local Economic Impacts of Mineral Export Ban in Indonesia

The Tyranny of Distance with Arya Gaduh

Economic Crisis and Nation Building with Arya Gaduh