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Household air pollution and caste-ethnic differences in undernutrition among children in Nepal

Dirga Kumar Lamichhane1, Jong Han Leem2, Hwan Cheol Kim2

  • 1Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Inha University, Incheon, South Korea.

Archives of Environmental & Occupational Health
|December 14, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Household air pollution (HAP) is linked to poor nutrition in children. This effect is more pronounced in lower caste children, with HAP partially explaining these disparities in Nepal.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Health
  • Pediatrics
  • Sociology

Background:

  • Household air pollution (HAP) is a significant environmental risk factor affecting child health globally.
  • Caste and ethnicity are known social determinants of health, influencing nutritional status in various populations.
  • Previous research has not fully elucidated the interplay between HAP exposure and socio-economic factors like caste on child undernutrition.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between household air pollution (HAP) and nutritional status (stunting, underweight, wasting) in children.
  • To determine if this association differs by caste/ethnicity among children in Nepal.
  • To assess the extent to which HAP exposure explains caste-based disparities in child undernutrition.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of anthropometric data from 9,914 children aged 0-59 months.
  • Nutritional status assessed using Z-scores for height-for-age, weight-for-age, and dichotomous categories (stunting, underweight, wasting).
  • Statistical modeling to evaluate the association between HAP exposure and nutritional status, stratified by caste/ethnicity.

Main Results:

  • HAP exposure was significantly associated with decreased height-for-age and weight-for-age, and increased odds of stunting and underweight.
  • Children from lower castes (Dalits) exhibited higher prevalence of stunting, underweight, and wasting compared to upper caste children.
  • The association between caste and undernutrition was modestly attenuated after adjusting for HAP exposure, indicating HAP's role in these disparities.

Conclusions:

  • Household air pollution is a significant risk factor for undernutrition among children in Nepal.
  • Caste/ethnicity modifies the impact of HAP on child nutritional status, with lower castes being more vulnerable.
  • Exposure to HAP partially explains the observed disparities in undernutrition between different caste groups in Nepal.

Keywords:
Caste/ethnicityNepalchildrenhousehold air pollutionundernutrition

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