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Women’s Malnutrition in India: The Role of Economic and Social Status

Author

Listed:
  • Shikha Dahiya

    (Shikha Dahiya is with the Indian Economic Service, email: shikhadahiya666@gmail.com)

  • Brinda Viswanathan

    (Brinda Viswanathan (corresponding author) is Associate Professor, Madras School of Economics, Gandhi Mandapam Road, Chennai, email: brinda@mse.ac.in)

Abstract

This study has used data from the India Human Development Survey (IHDS), 2005–06, to study the factors influencing the body mass index (BMI) of women between 20 and 40 years of age in India. BMI captures both undernutrition and over-nutrition, and a quantile regression model has been used to capture the differential impact of the explanatory variables across the wide range of its values. Variables such as per capita income, per capita consumption expenditure and wealth are important in explaining variations in BMI, but the impact varies across the quantiles. The impact of per capita consumption expenditure is greater than that of per capita income, indicating the effectiveness with which resources are converted to consumption. Higher levels of wealth status affect BMI more across all the quantiles. Women’s autonomy index shows a positive impact only for higher levels of the index value, but the magnitude is very small, while caste and religion play an important role even after controlling for economic status. JEL Classification: I12, J10, O18

Suggested Citation

  • Shikha Dahiya & Brinda Viswanathan, 2015. "Women’s Malnutrition in India: The Role of Economic and Social Status," Margin: The Journal of Applied Economic Research, National Council of Applied Economic Research, vol. 9(3), pages 306-332, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:mareco:v:9:y:2015:i:3:p:306-332
    DOI: 10.1177/0973801015579756
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. K. Kavi Kumar & Maithili Ramachandran & Brinda Viswanathan, 2009. "What Characterises Women Vulnerable to Chronic Energy Deficiency?," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 90(3), pages 365-380, February.
    2. Singh, Deepti & Goli, Srinivas & T.V., Sekher, 2011. "Double burden of nutritional disorder among Indian women: an assessment of differentials and determinants," MPRA Paper 53447, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Ackerson, Leland K. & Kawachi, Ichiro & Barbeau, Elizabeth M. & Subramanian, S.V., 2008. "Geography of underweight and overweight among women in India: A multilevel analysis of 3204 neighborhoods in 26 states," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 6(2), pages 264-280, July.
    4. Behrman, Jere R & Deolalikar, Anil B, 1987. "Will Developing Country Nutrition Improve with Income? A Case Study for Rural South India," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 95(3), pages 492-507, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    BMI; Women; Quantile Regression; Income; Consumption;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • J10 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - General
    • O18 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Urban, Rural, Regional, and Transportation Analysis; Housing; Infrastructure

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