Socioeconomic Inequalities in Child Malnutrition in Bangladesh: Do They Differ by Region?

Hasan, MM; Uddin, J; Pulok, MH; Zaman, N; Hajizadeh, M

Socioeconomic Inequalities in Child Malnutrition in Bangladesh: Do They Differ by Region?

Hasan, MM Uddin, J Pulok, MH Zaman, N Hajizadeh, M

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Publisher:: MDPI AG
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2020, 17, (3)
Issue Date:: 2020-02-08

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Hasan, MM
dc.contributor.author	Uddin, J
dc.contributor.author	Pulok, MH
dc.contributor.author	Zaman, N
dc.contributor.author	Hajizadeh, M
dc.date.accessioned	2021-03-30T22:31:39Z
dc.date.available	2020-02-06
dc.date.available	2021-03-30T22:31:39Z
dc.date.issued	2020-02-08
dc.identifier.citation	International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2020, 17, (3)
dc.identifier.issn	1660-4601
dc.identifier.issn	1660-4601
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/147692
dc.description.abstract	Socioeconomic inequality in child malnutrition is well-evident in Bangladesh. However, little is known about whether this inequality differs by regional contexts. We used pooled data from the 2011 and 2014 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey to examine regional differences in socioeconomic inequalities in stunting and underweight among children under five. The analysis included 14,602 children aged 0-59 months. We used logistic regression models and the Concentration index to assess and quantify wealth- and education-related inequalities in child malnutrition. We found stunting and underweight to be more concentrated among children from poorer households and born to less-educated mothers. Although the poverty level was low in the eastern regions, socioeconomic inequalities were greater in these regions compared to the western regions. The extent of socioeconomic inequality was the highest in Sylhet and Chittagong for stunting and underweight, respectively, while it was the lowest in Khulna. Regression results demonstrated the protective effects of socioeconomic status (SES) on child malnutrition. The regional differences in the effects of SES tend to diverge at the lower levels of SES, while they converge or attenuate at the highest levels. Our findings have policy implications for developing programs and interventions targeted to reduce socioeconomic inequalities in child malnutrition in subnational regions of Bangladesh.
dc.format	Electronic
dc.language	eng
dc.publisher	MDPI AG
dc.relation.ispartof	International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.3390/ijerph17031079
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject.classification	Toxicology
dc.subject.mesh	Bangladesh
dc.subject.mesh	Child, Preschool
dc.subject.mesh	Cross-Sectional Studies
dc.subject.mesh	Female
dc.subject.mesh	Growth Disorders
dc.subject.mesh	Health Status Disparities
dc.subject.mesh	Health Surveys
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Infant
dc.subject.mesh	Infant, Newborn
dc.subject.mesh	Logistic Models
dc.subject.mesh	Male
dc.subject.mesh	Malnutrition
dc.subject.mesh	Poverty
dc.subject.mesh	Prevalence
dc.subject.mesh	Risk Factors
dc.subject.mesh	Social Class
dc.subject.mesh	Thinness
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Malnutrition
dc.subject.mesh	Growth Disorders
dc.subject.mesh	Thinness
dc.subject.mesh	Health Surveys
dc.subject.mesh	Prevalence
dc.subject.mesh	Logistic Models
dc.subject.mesh	Risk Factors
dc.subject.mesh	Cross-Sectional Studies
dc.subject.mesh	Social Class
dc.subject.mesh	Poverty
dc.subject.mesh	Child, Preschool
dc.subject.mesh	Infant
dc.subject.mesh	Infant, Newborn
dc.subject.mesh	Bangladesh
dc.subject.mesh	Female
dc.subject.mesh	Male
dc.subject.mesh	Health Status Disparities
dc.subject.mesh	Bangladesh
dc.subject.mesh	Child, Preschool
dc.subject.mesh	Cross-Sectional Studies
dc.subject.mesh	Female
dc.subject.mesh	Growth Disorders
dc.subject.mesh	Health Status Disparities
dc.subject.mesh	Health Surveys
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Infant
dc.subject.mesh	Infant, Newborn
dc.subject.mesh	Logistic Models
dc.subject.mesh	Male
dc.subject.mesh	Malnutrition
dc.subject.mesh	Poverty
dc.subject.mesh	Prevalence
dc.subject.mesh	Risk Factors
dc.subject.mesh	Social Class
dc.subject.mesh	Thinness
dc.title	Socioeconomic Inequalities in Child Malnutrition in Bangladesh: Do They Differ by Region?
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	17
utslib.location.activity	Switzerland
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/DVC (International)
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
pubs.consider-herdc	true
dc.date.updated	2021-03-30T22:31:32Z
pubs.issue	3
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	17
utslib.citation.issue	3

Abstract:

Socioeconomic inequality in child malnutrition is well-evident in Bangladesh. However, little is known about whether this inequality differs by regional contexts. We used pooled data from the 2011 and 2014 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey to examine regional differences in socioeconomic inequalities in stunting and underweight among children under five. The analysis included 14,602 children aged 0-59 months. We used logistic regression models and the Concentration index to assess and quantify wealth- and education-related inequalities in child malnutrition. We found stunting and underweight to be more concentrated among children from poorer households and born to less-educated mothers. Although the poverty level was low in the eastern regions, socioeconomic inequalities were greater in these regions compared to the western regions. The extent of socioeconomic inequality was the highest in Sylhet and Chittagong for stunting and underweight, respectively, while it was the lowest in Khulna. Regression results demonstrated the protective effects of socioeconomic status (SES) on child malnutrition. The regional differences in the effects of SES tend to diverge at the lower levels of SES, while they converge or attenuate at the highest levels. Our findings have policy implications for developing programs and interventions targeted to reduce socioeconomic inequalities in child malnutrition in subnational regions of Bangladesh.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/147692