. 2022 Jun;113(3):433-445.

doi: 10.17269/s41997-022-00610-2. Epub 2022 Jan 27.

Cash transfer programs and child health and family economic outcomes: a systematic review

Anne E Fuller^{1

2

3}, Nusrat Zaffar⁴, Eyal Cohen^{4

5

6

7}, Maximilian Pentland⁸, Arjumand Siddiqi^{9

10}, Ashley Vandermorris^{4

11}, Meta Van Den Heuvel^{4

5}, Catherine S Birken^{4

5

6

7}, Astrid Guttmann^{4

5

6

12

7}, Claire de Oliveira^{7

13

14}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. anne.fuller@sickkids.ca.
² Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. anne.fuller@sickkids.ca.
³ Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. anne.fuller@sickkids.ca.
⁴ Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
⁵ Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
⁶ Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
⁷ Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
⁸ University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
⁹ Division of Epidemiology, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
¹⁰ Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
¹¹ Centre for Global Child Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
¹² ICES, Sunnybrook Health Science Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
¹³ Centre for Health Economics and Hull York Medical School, University of York, York, UK.
¹⁴ Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

PMID: 35088347
PMCID: PMC8794041
DOI: 10.17269/s41997-022-00610-2

Cash transfer programs and child health and family economic outcomes: a systematic review

Anne E Fuller et al. Can J Public Health. 2022 Jun.

. 2022 Jun;113(3):433-445.

doi: 10.17269/s41997-022-00610-2. Epub 2022 Jan 27.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. anne.fuller@sickkids.ca.
² Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. anne.fuller@sickkids.ca.
³ Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. anne.fuller@sickkids.ca.
⁴ Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
⁵ Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
⁶ Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
⁷ Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
⁸ University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
⁹ Division of Epidemiology, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
¹⁰ Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
¹¹ Centre for Global Child Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
¹² ICES, Sunnybrook Health Science Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
¹³ Centre for Health Economics and Hull York Medical School, University of York, York, UK.
¹⁴ Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

PMID: 35088347
PMCID: PMC8794041
DOI: 10.17269/s41997-022-00610-2

Abstract
in English, French

Objectives: Family income is an important determinant of child and parental health. In Canada, cash transfer programs to families with children have existed since 1945. This systematic review aimed to examine the association between cash transfer programs to families with children and health outcomes in Canadian children (ages 0 to 18) as well as family economic outcomes.

Methods: We reviewed academic and grey literature published up to November 2021. Additional studies were identified through reference review. We included any study that examined children 0-18 years old and/or their parents, took place in Canada and reported Canada-specific data, and reported child, youth and/or parental health outcomes, as well as family economic outcomes. Risk of bias was assessed by two reviewers using a modified Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.

Synthesis: Our search yielded 23 studies meeting the inclusion criteria out of 7052 identified. Eight studies in total measured child health outcomes, including birth outcomes, child overall health, and developmental and behavioural outcomes, and four directly addressed parental health, including mental health, injuries, and obesity. Most studies reported generally positive associations, though some findings were specific to certain subgroups. Some studies also examined fertility and labour force participation outcomes, which described varying effects.

Conclusion: Cash transfer programs to families with children in Canada are associated with better child and parental health outcomes. Additional research is needed to evaluate the mechanisms of effects, and to identify which types and levels of government transfers are most effective, and target populations, to optimize the positive effects of these benefits.

RéSUMé: OBJECTIFS: Le revenu familial est un important déterminant de la santé infantile et parentale. Au Canada, des programmes de transferts monétaires aux familles avec enfants existent depuis 1945. Notre revue systématique visait à examiner l’association entre les programmes de transferts monétaires aux familles avec enfants et les résultats cliniques chez les enfants canadiens (0 à 18 ans), ainsi que les résultats économiques familiaux. MéTHODE: Nous avons passé en revue la littérature spécialisée et la littérature grise publiées jusqu’en novembre 2021. D’autres études ont été répertoriées par une revue des références. Nous avons inclus toute étude portant sur les enfants de 0 à 18 ans et/ou leurs parents, menée au Canada, rapportant des données propres au Canada et rapportant les résultats cliniques d’enfants, de jeunes et/ou de parents, ainsi que les résultats économiques de familles. Le risque de biais a été évalué par deux évaluateurs à l’aide d’une échelle de Newcastle-Ottawa modifiée. SYNTHèSE: Sur les 7 052 études repérées dans notre recherche, 23 répondaient aux critères d’inclusion. En tout, huit études mesuraient les résultats cliniques d’enfants, dont les issues de la grossesse, la santé globale des enfants et les résultats développementaux et comportementaux, et quatre études portaient directement sur la santé parentale, dont la santé mentale, les blessures et l’obésité. La plupart des études faisaient généralement état d’associations positives, mais certaines constatations étaient spécifiques à certains sous-groupes. Quelques études portaient aussi sur la fécondité et la participation à la population active et décrivaient une diversité d’effets. CONCLUSION: Les programmes de transferts monétaires aux familles avec enfants au Canada sont associés à de meilleurs résultats cliniques infantiles et parentaux. Il faudrait pousser la recherche pour évaluer les mécanismes des effets constatés et pour déterminer quels sont les types et les niveaux de transferts gouvernementaux qui sont les plus efficaces, ainsi que les populations cibles, pour optimiser les effets positifs de ces prestations.

Keywords: Child health; Economic; Policy; Socioeconomic factors.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

**Fig. 1**
Flow diagram depicting studies selected for inclusion

See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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1. Baker, M., Messacar, D., & Stabile, M. (2021). The effects of child tax benefits on poverty and labor supply: Evidence from the Canada Child Benefit and Universal Child Care Benefit. National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, NBER Working Papers: 28556. Retrieved from https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ecn&AN=1906224&si...http://www.nber.org/papers/w28556.pdf
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Cash transfer programs and child health and family economic outcomes: a systematic review

Affiliations

Cash transfer programs and child health and family economic outcomes: a systematic review

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract
in English, French

Conflict of interest statement

Figures

References

Publication types

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Medical

Abstract in English, French

Conflict of interest statement

Figures

References

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Full Text Sources

Medical

Abstract
in English, French