Is rapid urbanisation exacerbating wealth-related urban inequalities in child nutritional status? Evidence from least developed countries

Abstract

Limited evidence exists regarding the extent of wealth-related urban inequalities in nutritional outcomes presumably attributable to the rapid pace of urbanisation. The present study has four inter-related objectives. First, it investigates whether there is a difference in the extent of wealth-related urban inequalities between the most rapidly and less rapidly urbanising countries and whether and to what degree parents’ education exacerbates these inequalities. Furthermore, the study examines the nature and strength of the associations between mother’s socio-economic status and child nutrition and between low birth weight and child nutrition in the selected countries. Data are drawn from the recent Demographic and Health Surveys conducted during 2005–2011. The analysis considered inequality measures, such as concentration indices and concentration curves, and logistic regression modelling. Results show significant inequalities in children’s nutritional outcomes, and that these inequalities are greater in the most rapidly urbanising countries and exacerbated by parents’ poor education. The results further confirm that mother’s socio-economic status and child birth weight are significantly associated with child nutritional outcomes, albeit the former are particularly important in the most rapidly urbanising LDCs. The findings call for a renewed focus on inclusive urban development in poorest countries.

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ORCID for Sabu Padmadas: orcid.org/0000-0002-6538-9374

ORCID for Jane Falkingham: orcid.org/0000-0002-7135-5875

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