Assessing socioeconomic inequalities in the reduction of child stunting in sub-Saharan Africa

Asuman, Derek; Ackah, Charles; Fenny, Ama Pokuaa; Agyire-Tettey, Frank

doi:10.1007/s10389-019-01068-2

Cited by 8 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…Taking into account both the change in the proportion of mothers with primary education and the one in the proportion of those with secondary education and above, the overall contribution represents 4%. This result is similar to that of previous studies conducted in Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria and Liberia, which found that improving the educational level of mothers significantly contributed to reducing the prevalence of chronic malnutrition ( 6 , 20 , 26 , 27 ). Considering the scientific literature, we would expect a greater contribution from mothers’ education, since it has helped to reduce child mortality by more than 50% in developing countries ( 28 ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…With this closer proximity to health centers, women and children have greater access to preventive care (vaccination, micronutrient supplementation, monitoring of growth and weight) and curative care in the event of illness, which contributes to reducing the extent of chronic malnutrition in children. Previous studies conducted in sub-Saharan Africa have also shown similar effects, in particular a significant effect of vaccination and access to healthcare ( 6 , 20 , 21 ). Given its strong contribution to reducing the extent of chronic malnutrition, improving geographical accessibility to healthcare services could play an important role in achieving the objective of eliminating chronic malnutrition in children in Burkina Faso by 2030, given that the average radius of action is continuing to be reduced at a rate almost similar to that observed over the 2000s decade ( 12 , 22 ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 59%

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Temporal variation of chronic child malnutrition in the context of strengthening healthcare services in Burkina Faso: an Oaxaca-Blinder multivariate decomposition analysis

Sawadogo,

Kobiané,

Tchouaket Nguemeleu

2024

Front. Public Health

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Malnutrition seriously affects children’s health, survival, and future productivity. According to the literature, increasing the supply of health services should help reduce the spread of malnutrition. This article analyses the sources of changes in the decline of chronic malnutrition during the 2000s, where there was an increase in the supply of health services in Burkina Faso. We used data from demographic and health surveys conducted in 2003 and 2010 in Burkina Faso. Malnutrition was defined according to the recommendations of the World Health Organization, while using standards of growth which are current and uniform for the two periods of study considered. We analyzed the source of temporal variation of chronic malnutrition through the Oaxaca-Blinder multivariate decomposition of the proportion of children suffering from chronic malnutrition. The analyses showed that the relative extent of chronic malnutrition in children decreased significantly, from 43.4% (CI 95%: 42.3–44.4) in 2003 to 34.7% (CI 95%: 33.6–35.9) in 2010. A quarter of this variation is due to a change in characteristics (composition effect), and the remaining 74.74% is due to a difference in coefficients (performance or behavior effect). Improved access to health services played a crucial role in reducing the scale of chronic malnutrition between 2003 and 2010. Other factors, such as educating mothers and urbanization, also contributed significantly. This study shows that improving access to health services is crucial for reducing chronic malnutrition. So, programs tackling child malnutrition must first and foremost ensure that children have access to health services.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 59%

Temporal variation of chronic child malnutrition in the context of strengthening healthcare services in Burkina Faso: an Oaxaca-Blinder multivariate decomposition analysis

Sawadogo,

Kobiané,

Tchouaket Nguemeleu

2024

Front. Public Health

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“…In contrast, overweight and obesity, although still low in prevalence among children in this age group, was found to be significantly higher in urban, wealthier, higher education, and higher literacy level households. Similar findings have been reported in studies using demographic health surveys in developing countries [12] and especially in sub-Saharan African countries [13,14] among children 0-5 years old.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Demographic and Social-Economic Determinants of Malnutrition among Children (0-23 Months Old) in Kenya

Mbogori

Muriuki

2021

Int. J. Child Health Nutr.

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Objective: To identify the demographic, social, and economic determinants of malnutrition in Kenya's children aged 0-23 months. Methods: Data from the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS), a nationally representative cross-sectional study conducted in 2014/2015, were used in this study. Data from children 0-23 months old with complete information on weight, height, age, and sex were used for analysis. Height for Age Z scores (HAZ), Weight for Height Z scores (WHZ), and BMI for age Z scores (BAZ) was determined using WHO guidelines to determine the nutritional status of the children. Chi-square statistics were used to determine the relationship between social-economic status and place of residence indicators and the nutritional status of the children. Significance was set at p <0.05. Results: Among all participating (n=7578), 22.7% were stunted (HAZ < -2), 6.2% were wasted (WHZ < -2), and 6.1% were either overweight or obese (BAZ > 2). Wasting and stunting were significantly higher in children from rural areas, poorer wealth index, and mothers with no education. In contrast, children from urban areas, the richest wealth index category, and mothers with secondary or higher education were significantly more likely to be overweight or obese. Conclusion: Current and future policies and programs to curb malnutrition in Kenya need to target specific needs of children based on their social-economic status, area of residence, and other demographic characteristics that were identified as determinants of child malnutrition instead of using a general approach.

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“…In terms of housing and assets, the prevalence of stunting increased as SES decreased. In 2019, Asuman et al conducted a survey of demographic and health survey data from 10 African countries and reported that as the SES of households decreased, the prevalence of stunting increased accordingly (44). This result was consistent with similar studies in Peru, Indonesia, Egypt, India, Ethiopia and Bangladesh ( 17),( 31),( 32),( 41),( 44),( 45),(46).…”

Section: Housing and Assetssupporting

confidence: 62%

Socioeconomic patterning of stunted and overweight Iranian children: a national cross-sectional analysis

Kasaii,

Rodrigues,

Abdollahi

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Background: The evidence indicates a high prevalence of malnutrition, such as stunting and overweight, among Iranian children. Yet, this prevalence may not be equally distributed across socioeconomic groups, so that non-targeted policies may be ineffective. This paper aimed to measure the socioeconomic patterning of children's stunting and overweight status, and the mediating role of nutrition patterns. Methods: The data were derived from the 2017 Demography and Health Survey (DHS) and the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), which were conducted in Iran. A sample of 19,270 children under the age of five was selected through a two-stage random sampling process. Children aged between 2 and 5 years were selected for the study (n=11,147). The probability of stunting and overweight was modeled using logistic regressions. The parental education and occupation and living conditions (areas and assets of the household) were considered as explanatory variables. The Diet Diversity Score was then factored in as mediation factor. Analyses were adjusted for age and sex. Results: The odds of stunting were more than 1.7 times greater among children whose father only completed primary school and more than twice higher among children whose mother was illiterate. Children of unemployed fathers had a 1.69-fold greater risk of stunting, while the risk was almost 1.5 higher in children living in smaller houses. Finally, a gradient was also observed related to poor living resources, with 2.01 times greater odds of stunting for children from families without assets. The results were less socially patterned for overweight, which was still significantly lower among children from low-educated fathers. Although a higher Diet Diversity Score (DDS) was associated with a decrease in stunting and an increase in overweight, these associations did not modify the link between socioeconomic status and stunting and overweight. Discussion: Malnutrition, especially stunting, more severely affects children from Iranian households with a lower socioeconomic background. Parental education, unemployment of father, area and assets were the most accurate factors for disentangling these inequalities, suggesting policies targeting more vulnerable groups.

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Assessing socioeconomic inequalities in the reduction of child stunting in sub-Saharan Africa

Cited by 8 publications

References 45 publications

Temporal variation of chronic child malnutrition in the context of strengthening healthcare services in Burkina Faso: an Oaxaca-Blinder multivariate decomposition analysis

Temporal variation of chronic child malnutrition in the context of strengthening healthcare services in Burkina Faso: an Oaxaca-Blinder multivariate decomposition analysis

Demographic and Social-Economic Determinants of Malnutrition among Children (0-23 Months Old) in Kenya

Socioeconomic patterning of stunted and overweight Iranian children: a national cross-sectional analysis

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