Gender, family and the nutritional status of children in three culturally contrasting states of India
Gender, family and the nutritional status of children in three culturally contrasting states of India
This paper has three main aims: to measure the clustering of children with low weight for age z-scores within families, to establish whether significant differences exist by gender in weight for age z-scores, and to demonstrate whether the presence of a mother-in-law in the household has any significant impact on the nutritional status of young children. Regression modelling is used to examine the weight for age z-scores of children under the age of four years in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh using the 1992–93 Indian National Family Health Survey data. Random effects models measure the clustering of children with low weight for age z-scores in families, controlling for a number of other family factors.
Our findings do not reveal significant gender differences in weight for age z-scores. Although little variation was found between family structures in the nutritional status of children, there were significant differences between families after controlling for family type. This suggests that there are differences between families that cannot be explained by a cross-sectional demographic survey. The evidence from this work suggests that nutrition programs need to adopt community nutrition interventions that aim resources at young children from families where children with low weight for age z-scores are found to cluster. However, there is a need for further inter-disciplinary research to collect data from families on behavioural factors and resource allocation in order that we might better understand why some families are more prone to having children with low weight for age z-scores. The diversity in the significant covariates between the three states in the models has shown the need for Indian nutrition programs to adopt state-specific approaches to tackling malnutrition.
child nutrition, weight for age z-score, India, gender, familial clustering
775-790
Griffiths, Paula
1e42c8d2-e67f-4825-a800-9721d427e8c7
Matthews, Zoë
ebaee878-8cb8-415f-8aa1-3af2c3856f55
Hinde, Andrew
0691a8ab-dcdb-4694-93b4-40d5e71f672d
2002
Griffiths, Paula
1e42c8d2-e67f-4825-a800-9721d427e8c7
Matthews, Zoë
ebaee878-8cb8-415f-8aa1-3af2c3856f55
Hinde, Andrew
0691a8ab-dcdb-4694-93b4-40d5e71f672d
Griffiths, Paula, Matthews, Zoë and Hinde, Andrew
(2002)
Gender, family and the nutritional status of children in three culturally contrasting states of India.
Social Science & Medicine, 55 (5), .
(doi:10.1016/S0277-9536(01)00202-7).
Abstract
This paper has three main aims: to measure the clustering of children with low weight for age z-scores within families, to establish whether significant differences exist by gender in weight for age z-scores, and to demonstrate whether the presence of a mother-in-law in the household has any significant impact on the nutritional status of young children. Regression modelling is used to examine the weight for age z-scores of children under the age of four years in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh using the 1992–93 Indian National Family Health Survey data. Random effects models measure the clustering of children with low weight for age z-scores in families, controlling for a number of other family factors.
Our findings do not reveal significant gender differences in weight for age z-scores. Although little variation was found between family structures in the nutritional status of children, there were significant differences between families after controlling for family type. This suggests that there are differences between families that cannot be explained by a cross-sectional demographic survey. The evidence from this work suggests that nutrition programs need to adopt community nutrition interventions that aim resources at young children from families where children with low weight for age z-scores are found to cluster. However, there is a need for further inter-disciplinary research to collect data from families on behavioural factors and resource allocation in order that we might better understand why some families are more prone to having children with low weight for age z-scores. The diversity in the significant covariates between the three states in the models has shown the need for Indian nutrition programs to adopt state-specific approaches to tackling malnutrition.
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Published date: 2002
Keywords:
child nutrition, weight for age z-score, India, gender, familial clustering
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Local EPrints ID: 34215
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/34215
ISSN: 0277-9536
PURE UUID: 34ada816-6f16-4534-b284-9fd9401360c5
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Date deposited: 16 May 2006
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 02:47
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Author:
Paula Griffiths
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