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Child Malnutrition and Morbidity in Uttar-Pradesh: An Application of Structural Equation Modeling and Geo-Spatial

Anuj Singh1, Abhay Kumar Tiwari2, Mayank Singh3

  • 1Department of Sciences (Mathematics), Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Ranchi, Jharkhand, 835217, India. anujsingh11185@gmail.com.

Maternal and Child Health Journal
|January 9, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Child malnutrition in Uttar Pradesh, India, is linked to maternal factors, socioeconomic status, and healthcare access. Targeted interventions are crucial for improving child nutrition and health outcomes in high-burden areas.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Pediatrics
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Child malnutrition, including stunting, wasting, and underweight, is a critical public health issue in low and middle-income countries.
  • Uttar Pradesh (UP), India, exhibits some of the highest rates of child malnutrition globally.
  • Understanding the multifaceted determinants of child malnutrition is essential for effective public health strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the key determinants of child malnutrition (stunting, wasting, underweight) in Uttar Pradesh.
  • To examine the association between child malnutrition and childhood morbidity.
  • To identify spatial patterns and high-burden districts for malnutrition in UP.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) for Uttar Pradesh, encompassing 59,232 children under five.
  • Employed univariate, bivariate analyses, generalized Structural Equation Modeling (GSEM) for individual-level determinants.
  • Applied spatial analysis, including Moran's I statistics and LISA cluster maps, for district-level patterns.

Main Results:

  • Maternal height, education, caste, wealth index, child age, and place of delivery/residence were significant predictors of stunting, wasting, and underweight.
  • Child malnutrition showed a significant positive association with childhood morbidity (β=0.032).
  • Spatial analysis identified distinct geographic clusters and hotspots of malnutrition across districts in Uttar Pradesh.

Conclusions:

  • Integrated, geographically targeted interventions are necessary to address child malnutrition in Uttar Pradesh.
  • Interventions should focus on improving maternal health, socioeconomic status, healthcare access, and environmental conditions.
  • Addressing inequalities is key to improving child nutrition and health outcomes in the region.
Abstract

Keywords:
MalnutritionMorbiditySEMSpatial analysisUttar Pradesh

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