This article asks how two types of large-scale conflict—major interstate wars and major civil wars—relate to children’s health, measured by infant mortality rates. Using country-year analysis across 1950–2007, the author examines both immediate and cumulative associations between time spent at war and infant mortality, and emphasizes what this evidence says about violations of children’s right to health without making causal claims beyond the study’s design.
1950–2007 country-year panel Generalized least squares with two-way fixed effects Focus on major civil and major interstate wars Outcome: infant mortality rates
Data and methods
The study covers the period 1950–2007 and uses generalized least squares regression with two-way fixed effects, as reported in the abstract. The analysis contrasts major interstate and major civil wars and evaluates both immediate and cumulative links between those conflicts and infant mortality rates. The abstract does not list control variables or sample size beyond the period noted.
Main findings
According to the abstract, the core results indicate that both major civil wars and major interstate wars are associated with substantive violations of children’s and infants’ rights to health, as reflected in infant mortality rates. The abstract highlights that states spending the most time involved in major interstate wars showed the largest overall increases in infant mortality.
- Both major civil and major interstate wars are reported to be associated with worse infant mortality outcomes.
- The strongest aggregate increases in infant mortality are reported for states with the most time engaged in major interstate wars.
