Socio-Economic and Environmental Determinants of Malnutrition in under Three Children: Evidence from PDHS-2018
Muhammad Shahid1, Yang Cao1, Muhammad Shahzad2
1School of Insurance and Economics, University of International Business and Economics (UIBE), Beijing 100029, China.
Insights
Malnutrition in Pakistani children is linked to factors like maternal education and household wealth. Improved water and sanitation facilities significantly reduce malnutrition risks, especially in deprived regions.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Pediatrics
- Environmental Health
Background:
- Child malnutrition remains a significant public health concern in Pakistan.
- Socio-economic and environmental factors are known contributors to malnutrition.
- Understanding these associations is crucial for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between malnutrition and socio-economic factors in Pakistani children.
- To examine the specific impact of environmental factors, including sanitation and water sources, on child malnutrition.
- To identify key determinants for reducing malnutrition rates in children under three.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from 1010 Under-Three children from the Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey (PDHS) 2017-2018.
- Developed the Cumulative Index of Anthropometric Failure (CIAF) to assess malnutrition using WHZ, WAZ, and HAZ z-scores.
- Applied discrete-choice logistic methodology and analyzed interaction terms for environmental factors.
Main Results:
- Child malnutrition likelihood increases with recent diarrhea and residence in deprived regions (KPK, Sind, Baluchistan).
- Malnutrition rates decrease with higher maternal education, increased household wealth, and improved water and sanitation facilities.
- Households with both improved water and sanitation showed significantly lower chances of child malnutrition.
Conclusions:
- Maternal education, household wealth, and improved water and sanitation facilities are key protective factors against child malnutrition in Pakistan.
- Addressing environmental factors like water and sanitation is vital for combating malnutrition.
- Interventions should consider socio-economic status and regional disparities to effectively reduce child malnutrition.
Objectives:
This research investigates the association of malnutrition with social and economic factors in general and environmental factors in specific such as sanitation facilities and drinking water sources for Pakistan.
Methods:
Authors used the latest data of 1010 Under-Three children from Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey (PDHS) 2017-2018. Cumulative Index of Anthropometric Failure (CIAF) was developed to measure the malnutrition status among children based on z-scores of WHZ, WAZ, and HAZ, respectively. The study has applied the discrete-choice logistic methodology to find the relationship of malnutrition with socio-economic characteristics. The interaction terms of drinking water source and sanitation facility have been measured to see the impact of environmental factors on child malnutrition.
Results:
The study results depict that the likelihood of malnutrition increases when the child had diarrhea recently and the child belongs to the deprived region such as KPK, Sind, and Baluchistan. However, the chances of child malnutrition drop with (1) an escalation of mothers' education, (2) a rise in wealth status of the household, and (3) the improved water source and sanitation facility in the household. The only water-improved sanitation category of the interaction term is significant in the model which depicts that households having both improved water and improved sanitation facilities had very fewer chances of malnutrition among their children.
Conclusion:
Authors conclude that malnutrition in younger children is associated with improved water as well as sanitation facilities, maternal education, and household wealth in Pakistan.
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