Category: MAG

The project focused on a question of how well can we determine ex ante individuals’ life outcomes? Traditional low dimensional models employed in the social sciences prove of limited effectiveness when given such objective. We seek to improve the performance of such models by applying modern machine learning methods on CBS microdata. Neural network models…

Mortality – both in terms of the timing and cause from which someone dies – may be transmitted through families. An individual’s own socio-economic status is also related to their survival chances: the wealthier individuals are, the longer they tend to live. Although there is a great deal of research into these relationships individually, there…

The Dutch government abolished the universal student grant for higher education in 2015 but reinstated it in 2023. Debates persist on whether the financial challenges faced by cohorts without access to the basic grant contributed to mental health issues. However, conclusive causal evidence is still lacking, especially regarding reinforcement. This study aims to provide robust…

Easily accessible, affordable, and high-quality childcare is important for both children and parents. It particularly helps children with a migration background with their social and language development and enables migrant parents to increase their economic integration within Dutch society. Yet, parents with a migration background use childcare services less than parents without a migration background.…

Moving during childhood, although common, is viewed as a potentially stressful life event associated with disruptions in learning and social networks. Relocations during the last years of primary school may have important consequences due to their potential impact on the results obtained from the final assessment. Educational institutions frequently consider this assessment when formulating their…

Hot weather can discourage people from going outside and being active, because staying inside helps them stay cooler. One possible field in which this is true, is travel. It is possible that people are less keen to walk and cycle during hot weather. Hot weather does not have the same effect everywhere. For example, greener…

The economic position of Dutch women continues to lag behind that of Dutch men and becomes most apparent after parenthood (also referred to as the ‘motherhood penalty’). This project explores if circumstances surrounding the pregnancy influence the economic consequences for women. Specifically, it explores if the motherhood penalty depends on the level to which the…

The share of middle-aged working women has increased over the past decades. This implies that an increasing number of women experience a major biological transition during their working lives: the menopause. Although most women experience various types of physical and mental discomfort in the years around menopause, we know little about the impact of these…

Pregnancy loss is a public health matter affecting 11 to 21% of clinically detected pregnancies in high-income countries. Along with biological and lifestyle factors, psycho-social sources of stress such as natural disasters, economic downturns and financial instability may put pregnancies at risk. While an exposure to job loss during the gestation might be linked to…