Women’s empowerment and nutritional status of children in the Gambia: further analysis of the 2020 Gambia demographic and health survey

Abstract

Empowering women and the promotion of children’s health are key components of the Sustainable Development Goals targeted for achievement by 2030. The survival of young children, which depends on their nutrition, is influenced by an interaction of factors at the household level. This study aims to investigate the association between women’s empowerment and undernutrition among children under age 5 using The Gambia Demographic Health Survey (GDHS) 2019–20.Children’s undernutrition was measured with two indicators: stunting and underweight. The women’s empowerment indicators were educational status, employment, decision making, age at first sex and age at first birth, and acceptance of wife beating. StataSE software Version 17 was used for data analysis. Analyses were cluster-adjusted, sample-weighted, with confounding/moderating variables. Descriptive statistics and cross-tabulations were computed for all variables. Bivariate and multivariate analysis of the outcomes and women’s empowerment were conducted.The prevalence of stunting and underweight among the children under age 5 was 17% and 12%, respectively. The results of the multiple logistic regression show that women with no education had 51% (OR = 1.51; 95% CI = 1.11–2.07; p = 0.009), and 52% (OR = 1.52; 95% CI = 1.06–2.14; p = 0.022) greater odds of having children under age 5 who were stunted or underweight compared to those women with primary and higher level of education, respectively. Mothers with a body mass index classified as thin were associated with an increased odds of having stunted (OR = 1.44; 95% CI 1.01–2.05; p = 0.033) and underweight (OR = 1.69; 95% CI = 1.58–3.52; P < 0.001) children. In addition, women who reported accepting wife beating had 69% (OR = 1.69; 95% CI 1.22–2.35; p = 0.002) and 66% (OR = 1.66; 95% CI 1.15–2.40; p = 0.006) greater odds of having stunted and underweight children respectively compared to those who did not accept wife beating.In conclusion, the result of this study shows that women’s empowerment is associated with undernutrition among children under age 5 in The Gambia. This is suggesting that implementing policies and interventions that increase the empowerment of women will contribute to the improvement of child nutrition in the country.

The prevalence and multilevel analysis of minimum dietary diversity intake and its determinants among 6–23 months old infants in The Gambia: further analysis of the Gambian demographic and health survey data

“…Compared to women from households with the lowest wealth index, those from wealthy households had increased probabilities of seeking to give their children MDD. Other favorable research works from the Gambia [ 44 ], Burkina Faso [ 45 ], Rwanda [ 34 ], and Ethiopia [ 24 ]. The lack of resources in poor homes to offer a balanced diet for the family members may account for the link between a low wealth index and under adequate MDD in children.…”

Continuation of education after marriage and its associated factors among young adult women: findings from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2017–2018

“…On the other hand, education confiscation limits women’s access to information about sexual and reproductive health, social exclusion from peers and decreased social mobility, which is accentuated by economic vulnerability 20–23. In addition, as an essential component of women’s empowerment, the discontinuation of education has an effect on a variety of adverse health outcomes for both mothers and their children 24 25. Therefore, it is crucial to identify the factors that influence the continuation of post-nuptial education, particularly in countries with widespread poverty and low educational enrolment 26…”

Minimum meal frequency practice and associated factors among children aged 6–23 months old in The Gambia: a multilevel mixed effect analysis

“…Most children did not receive adequate nutrition in the form of vitamins, proteins, and minerals due to poor health care and parents' lack awareness 8 . So that stunting and underweight are the headache of The Gambian children with a prevalence of 18% and 12% respectively 9 , 10 . This finding is corroborated by the 2021 Global Nutrition Report, which noted that The Gambia has not made much progress in reducing non-communicable diseases linked to diet and under-five stunting 11 .…”

“…Numerous researches have shown that sociodemographic factors and meal frequency are related. Low levels of parental education, mother's age 9 , 16 , 17 , mother's work 18 , children's age and birth order 16 , 17 , household wealth status 9 , 16 , family size 16 , and place of residence 17 were thus substantially linked to low levels of dietary diversity practices. Additionally, the minimal meal frequency was substantially correlated with the birth interval 18 , 19 , satisfactory media exposure 16 , 17 , mother's participation in decision-making 17 , and maternal antenatal (ANC) and postnatal (PNC) care follow ups 19 , 20 .…”