The presentation of the study titled "The Effect of Prenatal Exposure to Ramadan on Human Capital: Evidence from Turkey" by Dr. Gökben AYDİLEK from Gebze Technical University was held on March 26, 2025 at 12:30 in the Meeting Hall of our university's North Campus, Block C, 7th Floor. Our Department Head and Dean of the Faculty of Political Sciences, Prof. Dr. Faruk BAL, and many other faculty members attended the event.
AYDİLEK began his presentation by stating that he examined the effects of nutritional deficiencies experienced by individuals in the womb on education and the labor market. He stated that his research aimed to evaluate the long-term consequences of prenatal nutritional deficiencies, especially by using the effect of fasting during the holy month of Islam, Ramadan, on the nutritional regime in the womb as a natural experiment.
AYDİLEK, who stated that he used the 2016 Turkey Family Structure Survey data in his study, stated that he compared individuals who were exposed to Ramadan in the womb with those who were not. According to the findings, male individuals whose pregnancy coincides with Ramadan in the first or third trimester receive an average of 0.53 years less education and have a lower probability of receiving a middle school, high school, or university degree. AYDİLEK also emphasized that these negative effects become more pronounced especially when Ramadan coincides with the summer months.
This study presented by AYDİLEK offers important implications for public health and education policies by showing that prenatal nutritional conditions can directly affect individuals’ education levels and thus their participation in the labor market.
