On Measuring Child Costs: With Applications to Poor Countries
讨论儿童成本的理论基础，比较恩格尔食物份额法和罗斯巴思成人商品法的优缺点，并利用斯里兰卡和印度尼西亚数据估算儿童成本约占父母自身支出的30-40%。
The theoretical basis for measuring child costs is discussed, and detailed consideration is given to two straightforward procedures for calculation, Engel's food share method and Rothbarth's adult good method. Each of these methods embodies different definitions of child costs so that the same empirical evidence can generate quite different estimates depending on the method used. It is shown that true costs are generally overstated by Engel's method and understated by Rothbarth's procedure, although the latter, unlike the former, can provide a sensible starting point for cost measurement. Our estimates from Sri Lankan and Indonesian data suggest that children cost their parents about 30-40 percent of what they spend on themselves.