The relationship between livelihood strategies and a child’s nutritional trajectories: a longitudinal study in India

Numerous longitudinal studies have traced the nutritional trajectories of a child. However, there is a paucity of literature about the factors that set the direction of it. The present study is here to fill this research gap. The study aims to determine the role of socioeconomic factors and livelihood strategies in stunting trajectories. The study has utilized the Young Lives longitudinal data collected in 2001, 2004 and 2009, from undivided Andhra Pradesh, India. This paper uses the Nutrition transition matrix to understand the different dimensions of stunting trajectories. Further, Multinomial logistic regression has been applied to determine the factors associated with it. The study validates the notion of nutritional trajectories among children. Multinomial regression analysis shows that a decrease in household size, the use of clean energy and an increase in the age and education of the mother decreases the probability of being stunted. The children from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and a female child are more prone to being malnourished. Socio-economic factors play an important role in nutritional trajectories. The caregiver’s education, wealth Index, provision of safe drinking water, safe cooking energy, toilet facilities, and access to electricity play a vital role in nutritional trajectories. A child’s health and nutrition-related factors such as vaccination, institutional delivery and so on play a role in this regard. The study recommends the strengthening of socioeconomic indicators for positive nutritional trajectories. Targeted steps should be taken through health infrastructure development, employment generation programes, improvement in health-related accessibility and, awareness towards nutritious foods.