IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/cysrev/v119y2020ics0190740920320028.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The prevalence of undernutrition and associated factors among preschool children: Evidence from Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2017–18

Author

Listed:
  • Naz, Lubna
  • Kumar Patel, Kamalesh
  • Evan Uzoma, Ifeoma

Abstract

The malnutrition adversely affects the survival, health, and cognitive abilities of the preschoolers. This article examines the prevalence of undernutrition and the proximate factors of stunting, wasting, and underweight in Pakistan. The study used a sample of 3,575 under-five children extracted from the Pakistan Demographic and Health survey 2017–18. The nutritional status was assessed by using z-scores of height for age (HAZ), weight for height (WHZ), and weight for age (WAZ). The data was prior adjusted for the survey design and reference values (<-2 for HAZ, WHZ, and WAZ) of stunting, wasting, and underweight. The study used both bivariate and multivariate methods. Results showed that more than one third (38 percent) of under-fives are stunted, 8 percent wasted, and 23 percent underweight in Pakistan. The binary regression results reveal that children whose mothers maintained birth-interval of more than three years were associated with 34 percent and 28 percent lower odds to become stunted and underweight, respectively, compared to those whose mothers opted for shorter birth intervals. Children born to mothers with higher secondary education and in the older age group have lower odds of stunting and wasting than children whose mothers were uneducated and younger. Wealthier households have lower odds of the prevalence of stunting and wasting than poorer. The research findings may be used to integrate national nutritional strategies with girls’ education and maternal healthcare plans and devise social protection programs for resource-poor families with a higher prevalence of undernutrition among under-five children.

Suggested Citation

  • Naz, Lubna & Kumar Patel, Kamalesh & Evan Uzoma, Ifeoma, 2020. "The prevalence of undernutrition and associated factors among preschool children: Evidence from Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2017–18," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:119:y:2020:i:c:s0190740920320028
    DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105579
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190740920320028
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105579?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ervin, Paul A. & Bubak, Vit, 2019. "Closing the rural-urban gap in child malnutrition: Evidence from Paraguay, 1997–2012," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 1-10.
    2. G. M. Arif & Shujaat Farooq & Saman Nazir & Maryam Satti, 2014. "Child Malnutrition and Poverty: The Case of Pakistan," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 53(2), pages 99-118.
    3. Chowa, Gina & Ansong, David & Masa, Rainier, 2010. "Assets and child well-being in developing countries: A research review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(11), pages 1508-1519, November.
    4. Sinha, Aakanksha & McRoy, Ruth G. & Berkman, Barbara & Sutherland, Melissa, 2017. "Drivers of change: Examining the effects of gender equality on child nutrition," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 203-212.
    5. Glewwe, Paul & Jacoby, Hanan G, 1995. "An Economic Analysis of Delayed Primary School Enrollment in a Low Income Country: The Role of Early Childhood Nutrition," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 77(1), pages 156-169, February.
    6. Miller, Barbara D., 1997. "Social class, gender and intrahousehold food allocations to children in South Asia," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 44(11), pages 1685-1695, June.
    7. Burchi, Francesco, 2010. "Child nutrition in Mozambique in 2003: The role of mother's schooling and nutrition knowledge," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 8(3), pages 331-345, December.
    8. Paul Glewwe, 1999. "Why Does Mother's Schooling Raise Child Health in Developing Countries? Evidence from Morocco," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 34(1), pages 124-159.
    9. Pitt, Mark M & Rosenzweig, Mark R & Hassan, Md Nazmul, 1990. "Productivity, Health, and Inequality in the Intrahousehold Distribution of Food in Low-Income Countries," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 80(5), pages 1139-1156, December.
    10. Sabiha Ibrahim, 1999. "Anthropometric Patterns and Correlates of Growth Attainment in Under-five Pakistani Children," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 38(2), pages 131-152.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Muhammad Shahid & Waqar Ameer & Najma Iqbal Malik & Muhammad Babar Alam & Farooq Ahmed & Madeeha Gohar Qureshi & Huiping Zhao & Juan Yang & Sidra Zia, 2022. "Distance to Healthcare Facility and Lady Health Workers’ Visits Reduce Malnutrition in under Five Children: A Case Study of a Disadvantaged Rural District in Pakistan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-13, July.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Naz, Lubna & Patel, Kamalesh Kumar, 2020. "Decomposing socioeconomic gap in chronic malnutrition among preschool children in Pakistan," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    2. Maria C. Lo Bue, 2024. "Drivers of changes in child nutritional conditions: A panel data‐based study on Indonesian households, 1997–2014," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(2), pages 741-776, May.
    3. Yuriy Pylypchuk & Samuel W. Norton, 2015. "Preventing Malaria among Children in Zambia: The Role of Mother's Knowledge," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 24(11), pages 1389-1402, November.
    4. Francesco Burchi, 2012. "Whose education affects a child’s nutritional status? From parents' to household's education," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 27(23), pages 681-704.
    5. Wajiha Haq & Faisal Abbas, 2022. "A Multilevel Analysis of Factors Associated With Stunting in Children Less Than 2 years Using Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2017–18 of Punjab, Pakistan," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(2), pages 21582440221, May.
    6. Hirvonen, Kalle & Hoddinott, John & Minten, Bart & Stifel, David, 2017. "Children’s Diets, Nutrition Knowledge, and Access to Markets," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 303-315.
    7. Paola Ballón & John Cockburn & Sylvain Dessy & Setou Diarra, 2018. "Child Monetary Poverty and Multidimensional Deprivations: Why They Differ," Journal of African Economies, Centre for the Study of African Economies, vol. 27(4), pages 483-512.
    8. Adhvaryu, Achyuta & Nyshadham, Anant, 2011. "Labor Supply, Schooling and the Returns to Healthcare in Tanzania," Center Discussion Papers 107260, Yale University, Economic Growth Center.
    9. José Cardoso & Lindsey Allwright & Vincenzo Salvucci, 2016. "Characteristics and determinants of child malnutrition in Mozambique, 2003-11," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2016-147, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    10. Rana Khan & Muhammad Raza, 2016. "Determinants of malnutrition in Indian children: new evidence from IDHS through CIAF," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 50(1), pages 299-316, January.
    11. Jessica E. Todd & Paul Winters, 2011. "The Effect of Early Interventions in Health and Nutrition on On-Time School Enrollment: Evidence from the Oportunidades Program in Rural Mexico," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 59(3), pages 549-581.
    12. Okada, Keisuke, 2012. "The effects of female HIV/AIDS status on fertility and child health in Cambodia," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 23(5), pages 560-570.
    13. Okabe, Masayoshi, 2016. "Gender-preferential intergenerational patterns in primary educational attainment: An econometric approach to a case in rural Mindanao, the Philippines," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 125-142.
    14. Orkhan Sariyev & Tim K. Loos & Manfred Zeller & Tulsi Gurung, 2020. "Women in household decision-making and implications for dietary quality in Bhutan," Agricultural and Food Economics, Springer;Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA), vol. 8(1), pages 1-20, December.
    15. Sánchez, Alan & Favara, Marta & Sheridan, Margaret & Behrman, Jere, 2024. "Does early nutrition predict cognitive skills during later childhood? Evidence from two developing countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    16. Ahsan, Md Nazmul & Maharaj, Riddhi, 2018. "Parental human capital and child health at birth in India," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 130-149.
    17. Fu, Yao & Jordan, Lucy P. & Zhou, Xiaochen & Chow, Cheng & Fang, Lue, 2023. "Longitudinal associations between parental migration and children's psychological well-being in Southeast Asia: The roles of caregivers' mental health and caregiving quality," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 320(C).
    18. Jere R. Behrman & John Hoddinott & John A. Maluccio, & Erica Soler-Hampejsek & Emily L. Behrman & Reynaldo Martorell & Manuel Ramirez-Zea & Aryeh D. Stein, 2006. "What Determines Adult Cognitive Skills? Impacts of Pre-Schooling, Schooling and Post-Schooling Experiences in Guatemala," PIER Working Paper Archive 06-027, Penn Institute for Economic Research, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania.
    19. Pritha Dev & Blessing U. Mberu & Roland Pongou, 2016. "Ethnic Inequality: Theory and Evidence from Formal Education in Nigeria," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 64(4), pages 603-660.
    20. Michele Giannola, 2024. "Parental Investments and Intra-household Inequality in Child Human Capital: Evidence from a Survey Experiment," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 134(658), pages 671-727.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:119:y:2020:i:c:s0190740920320028. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/childyouth .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.