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Livelihoods, nutrition and health in Dhaka slums
Jane A Pryer1, Stephen Rogers, Charles Normand
1Royal Free and University College Medical School, University College London, Department of Primary Care and Population Sciences, Royal Free Campus, Rowland Hill Street, UK. j.pryer@pcps.ucl.ac.uk
Objectives:
To identify groups within Dhaka slums that report similar patterns of livelihood, and to explore nutritional and health status.
Design:
A random sample of households participated in a longitudinal study in 1995-1997. Socio-economic and morbidity data were collected monthly by questionnaire and nutritional status was assessed. Cluster analysis was used to aggregate households into livelihood groups.
Setting:
Dhaka slums, Bangladesh.
Subjects:
Five-hundred and fifty-nine households.
Main Outcome Measures:
Socio-economic and demographic variables, nutritional status, morbidity.
Results:
Four livelihood groups were identified. Cluster 1 was the richest cluster with land, animals, business assets and savings. Loans as well as income were higher, which shows that this group was credit-worthy. The group was mainly self-employed and worked more days per month than the other clusters. The cluster had the second highest body mass index (BMI) score, and the highest children's nutrition status. Cluster 2 was a poor cluster and was mainly dependent self-employed. Savings and loans were lower. Cluster 3 was the most vulnerable cluster. Members of this group were mainly casual unskilled, and 40% were female-headed households. Total income and expenditure were lowest amongst the clusters. BMI and children's nutritional status were lowest in the slum. Cluster 4 was the second richest cluster. This group comprised skilled workers. BMI was the highest in this cluster and children's nutritional status was second highest.
Conclusions:
Cluster analysis has identified four groups that differed in terms of socio-economic, demographic and nutritional status and morbidity. The technique could be a practically useful tool of relevance to the development, monitoring and targeting of vulnerable households by public policy in Bangladesh.