• Educating Mothers, Feeding Families?  Long-Term Health Effects of Schooling in Bangladesh (JMP)

Abstract: This study examines the long-term impact of maternal education on health and nutrition outcomes in Bangladesh, leveraging the 1994 Female Secondary School Stipend Program (FSSSP) as an exogenous policy intervention. Using a cohort-based instrumental variables approach applied to panel data from the Bangladesh Integrated Household Survey (BIHS), I estimate the impact of increased maternal education on anthropometric and dietary outcomes for both mothers and their children. The results show that each additional year of maternal education significantly increases Body Mass Index (BMI), particularly among women in the upper half of the BMI distribution. Educational gains are linked to greater dietary variety and higher sugar intake but do not yield improvements in overall diet quality. For children, maternal education enhances dietary diversity and quality, yet anthropometric benefits remain limited: there is no significant effect on Height-for-Age (HAZ) or Weight-for-Height (WHZ), and only a modest decline in BMI-for-Age z-scores (BMIAZ) among those in the higher percentiles. These findings highlight the dual role of education in shaping nutritional behavior: while it could improve dietary composition, it may also contribute to overnutrition in contexts undergoing rapid dietary and economic transitions.

• Does Globalization Affect Maternal Education's Health Returns? Evidence from Nutrition with Anne-Celia Disdier and Fabrice Etilé

Abstract: This study re-examines the relationship between maternal education and domestic health production by analyzing how different dimensions of globalization moderate its impact on the combined risk of maternal overweight and child stunting, known as the double burden of malnutrition (DBM). Using a multilevel household–region framework, we decompose trends in DBM from 1992 to 2019 across 42 LMICs, drawing on pooled Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data. We distinguish long-term effects of baseline female education from over time changes, and explore how each interacts with economic and social globalization. Results show baseline education consistently protects against DBM, whereas recent educational gains have weaker and context-dependent effects, especially in rapidly globalizing regions, while its baseline levels increase DBM if interacted with changes in education. Baseline economic globalization is linked to higher DBM risk when interacted with changes in maternal education. In contrast, changes in social globalization also raise DBM risk through their interaction with maternal education; its cultural, informational, and interpersonal components are exerting distinct effects. Findings suggest that maternal education alone may not counter nutrition risks amplified by globalization, underscoring the need for institutional and food system interventions.

• Mental Health and Life Satisfaction in Later Life: Evidence from Bangladesh with Tetsushi Sonobe, Dil B. Rahut and Shafiun N. Shimul

Abstract: This study investigates the mental well-being of the elderly in Bangladesh, drawing on original survey data from 400 individuals aged 60 and above in both urban and rural settings. We construct a multidimensional index of well-being using validated psychological scales (including the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), the Quality of Life Scale (CASP-19), and the CES-D depression index) and apply ordered probit models to examine associations with demographic, socioeconomic, and health-related factors. Our findings reveal marked disparities in well-being: women, the oldest old, and those lacking financial independence report significantly lower scores. Depression emerges as a major determinant of reduced life satisfaction and perceived quality of life. Conversely, economic autonomy, co-residence with children, and social engagement appear to buffer against psychological distress. These results highlight the urgent need for targeted mental health interventions and policies that support aging populations in developing contexts like Bangladesh. 

• Rahut, D. B., & Destefanis, A. (2024). The multidimensional well-being of Asian senior citizens: A systematic review. ADBI Working Paper No. 1443. Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI), Tokyo. https://doi.org/10.56506/KAIT9216

• Destefanis, A., Sonobe, T., Rahut, D., & Aryal, J. P. (2021). Lessons for the informal sector from COVID-19. Asia Pathways. Asian Development Bank Institute.

• Forthcoming:  From Field to Future: A Critical Review of Good Governance for Sustainable Development in Developing Countries

(with D. B. Rahut, S. Bera  and B. Bhagirath)

• Forthcoming: Parental migration and unconditional cash transfers for education. Evidence from the Smart Indonesia Program.        (with D. B. Rahut)

• International Mobility Grant, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - € 1,700 (2025)

• International Mobility Grant, Paris School of Economics - € 2,895 (2025)

• International Mobility Grant, UMR/CNRS - € 1,367 (2025)

• PhD Doctoral Contract, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (sept 2022- aug 2025)

• Research grant, Asian Development Bank Institute - US$ 11,741 (2021)

• PSE (PjSE) PhD student representative (2025 - …)

• Member of the Strategic Committee (CLEOR) of PSE (2025 - …)

• Organization member, “Globalization, Political Economy, Trade (GPET) PhD students’ seminar” (2022-2024)

• Organization assistant, “European Association of Young Economists (EAYE) conference” (2024)

• Organization assistant, “PSE collegial retreat – Fréjus” (2024)

• Organization member, “Rural Economic Transformation: Pathways to Inclusive and Sustainable Prosperity in post-COVID-19 Asia” (ADBI - 2019)

• Organization member, “Environmental Challenges and Agricultural Sustainability in Asia: Interlinkages and Future Implications” (ADBI - 2019)