Reproductive Investment and Health Costs in Roma Women

Čvorović, Jelena; Coe, Kathryn

doi:10.3390/ijerph14111337

Cited by 9 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 70 publications

(83 reference statements)

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“…In this sample, the observed mean age at first marriage was 17, while the mean age at first reproduction was at an optimum of 18 years. Previous studies on the Roma reproductive pattern found that Roma women start reproducing at the optimum age, continue having children in their most fertile years and cease reproduction relatively early, with later age at first reproduction being significantly associated with infant low birth weight (20,30) . The risks associated with later maternal age at first reproduction include changes in children's quantity but also quality, suggesting a significant disadvantage of delayed age at first reproduction (21,(42)(43)(44) .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…Cross-culturally the greatest risk is concentrated only in the youngest of mothersgenerally those younger than 15 years -, with the risk being lowest for first births (17)(18) . Yet, despite the costs, there may also be fitness benefits associated with early reproduction, such as the advantage of longer reproductive periods and higher fertility [19][20] . By contrast, however, the cost of delayed onset of reproduction is associated with fewer descendants, a shorter reproductive period, longer generation times, unfavorable child outcomes, greater risk of reproductive failure and a higher cumulative mortality risk (21)(22)(23) .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Maternal age at marriage and child nutritional status and development: evidence from Serbian Roma communities

Čvorović

2022

Public Health Nutr.

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Objective: This study aimed to assess whether maternal age at first marriage is associated with nutritional and developmental penalties in Roma children. Design: Roma nationally representative population-based study. Proxies for child nutritional outcomes included children’s individual-level height-for-age z (HAZ) and weight-for-age z (WAZ) scores, HAZ and WAZ scores below two standard deviations from the median of WHO’s reference population (children aged 0-59 months), and Early Child Development (children aged 36-59 months). Multiple and logistic regressions were used to estimate the association between maternal age at marriage and the outcomes, and other sociodemographic determinants as possible confounders. Setting: Aggregated data from UNICEF’s fifth and sixth Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys for Serbian Roma settlements. Subjects: Children (n= 2652) aged 0–59 months born to ever-married women aged 15-48. Results: 64% of women married before age 18, 19% of children were stunted, 9% wasted, and Early Child Development score was low. Maternal age at first marriage was not associated with either nutritional status or early development of Roma children. Weight at birth (children aged 0-24) emerged as the main predictor of children’s nutritional status. Boys were more likely to be shorter, more stunted and wasted than girls. Child’s age, maternal parity and unimproved toilet facility negatively impacted nutritional status, while maternal literacy mitigated against poor nutritional and developmental outcomes. Conclusions: Roma children up to 5 years of age bear no negative consequences of maternal early marriage. The underlying determinants of children’s wellbeing include improved sanitation, child characteristics, maternal literacy and reproductive behavior, and parental investment.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Maternal age at marriage and child nutritional status and development: evidence from Serbian Roma communities

Čvorović

2022

Public Health Nutr.

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“…Among the complex negative factors accompanying underdevelopment, unwanted children may be the most serious, as being unwanted, in addition to low birthweight and high neonatal mortality risk, may have a long-lasting effect on a child’s development, and is associated with adverse life cycle outcomes [ 62 ]. Very few Roma women use modern contraceptives, but the majority cease reproduction in their late twenties, with an average of four surviving children, implying that together with their partners, they make a deliberate decision to stop reproducing after the desired number of children is reached [ 63 ]. There was no difference in wantedness between the third and fourth born children, suggesting that factors other than desired number of children might influence child wantedness.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Child Wantedness and Low Weight at Birth: Differential Parental Investment among Roma

Čvorović¹

2020

Behavioral Sciences

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Studies investigating child wantedness, birthweight and parental care are limited. This study assessed relationships of child wantedness, low birthweight and differential parental investment in a poor population of Serbian Roma. Data from the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey round 5 for Roma settlements were used to account for the association between child wantedness and birthweight, and three measures of parental investment: breastfeeding practices, immunization of children and quality of mother–child interaction. The sample included 584 children aged 0–24 months. The child variables were gender, birth order, birthweight (low birthweight at <2500 g and normal birthweight at >2500 g) and whether the child was wanted, while maternal independent variables included age, literacy and household wealth. The results show that unwanted children were at greater risk of having low birthweight. After controlling for birthweight, child wantedness emerged as a predictor of breastfeeding practices and immunization status: Roma mothers biased their investment toward children who were wanted. The quality of mother–child interaction varied with the mother’s household wealth. Given the high rates of infant and child mortality among Roma, investments in children’s health should be prioritized within the family, where maternal bias in parental investment may contribute to their children’s health disparities.

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“…Additional variables were used to account for maternal and child conditions, based on the existing literature (Čvorović & Coe, 2017). Whether a mother (N = 130) ever had a child who later died was used as a proxy for child mortality.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Roma, a diverse population of South Asian origin, are the largest ethnic minority in Europe, experiencing severe social exclusion, poverty, welfare dependency, poor health, and higher levels of fertility, child mortality and low offspring birthweight rates than observed in other ethnic groups or majority populations (Balázs et al, 2014). Roma women living in Serbia lack education, the skills for and access to jobs, and have cultural practices that seem to limit women's choices (Čvorović & Coe, 2017). Typically, Roma girls enter traditionally arranged marriage and motherhood as teenagers while high fertility is culturally encouraged (Čvorović, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Do unwanted children face growth penalties in resource poor environments? Evidence from Roma Settlements in Serbia

Čvorović

2022

J. Biosoc. Sci.

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In a high fertility context, research on the relationship between parental investment, unwanted births and child nutritional outcomes is limited. The implications may be especially relevant for children coming from the most disadvantaged backgrounds and at increased risk of nutritional deprivation. This study assessed the association between maternal investment, unwanted births disaggregated into mistimed and unwanted children, and child nutritional outcomes in a poor population of Serbian Roma. Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys rounds 5 and 6 data for Serbian Roma settlements were used to account for the association between two measures of maternal investment: weight at birth and parity, and mistimed and unwanted children, and children height-for-age z-score (HAZ), weight-for-age z score (WAZ) and weight-for- height z-score (WHZ). The sample included 130 children aged 0-24 months. The child variables were age, gender, and birth order, while maternal independent variables included age, literacy and access to improved toilet facility as proxies for socioeconomic status. Children born with low birth weight (lower maternal investment in utero) face a significant deficit in terms of their nutritional outcomes, measured by HAZ and WAZ. The effect was aggravated for height if the child was unwanted while there was a positive relationship between access to improved toilet facility and WHZ. Unwanted children were of higher birth order, with older, higher parity mothers than mistimed children. Many of the Roma children may be at risk of undernutrition, however, Roma children who received lower maternal investment in utero, unwanted and living in poorest households may face additional risk.

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Reproductive Investment and Health Costs in Roma Women

Cited by 9 publications

References 70 publications

Maternal age at marriage and child nutritional status and development: evidence from Serbian Roma communities

Maternal age at marriage and child nutritional status and development: evidence from Serbian Roma communities

Child Wantedness and Low Weight at Birth: Differential Parental Investment among Roma

Do unwanted children face growth penalties in resource poor environments? Evidence from Roma Settlements in Serbia

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