Higher Pre- and Post-Monsoon Temperatures and Their Impact on Child Undernutrition in Bangladesh

Child malnutrition remains a critical public health concern in Bangladesh, with emerging evidence linking climatic variability to nutritional outcomes. This study examines the impact of unusual seasonal temperature deviations, particularly in the pre- and post-monsoon periods, on child malnutrition. District-level time series climatic data from 2007 to 2018 were analyzed alongside the pooled cross-sectional children's data, the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) of 2012 and 2019, to assess these effects. Factor analysis and multilevel logistic regression model were used for analyzing the data where factor analysis identified the pre- and post-monsoon seasons as a dominant weather factor, and multilevel logistic regression evaluated its association with malnutrition after adjustment for other individual-level, household-level, and maternal characteristics. Results indicate that higher-than-usual temperatures in pre- and post-monsoon seasons significantly increase stunting, while lower-than-usual monsoon temperatures do the same to both stunting and wasting. These findings suggest that deviations from historical climatic norms may negatively affect child nutrition. Strengthening climate-sensitive nutrition policies and early warning systems is essential in mitigating the impact of unseasonal temperature anomalies on child health in Bangladesh.