Download or read book Critical Decisions at a Critical Age written by Manuelita Ureta and published by Inter-American Development Bank. This book was released on 2003-01-01 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book uses micro-level data for 18 Latin American countries to examine the choices adolescents make in three areas of behavior: their time allocation toward school and work, their sexual behavior and fertility, and their adoption of adult roles as they marry or cohabitate. Analyzing these issues comparatively across countries provides a richer contrast of the broad range of behavior among youth around the region than traditional country studies. The analysis pays particular attention to the accumulation of human capital, a key determinant of living standards at the individual level and social progress at the aggregate level.