Wealth Inequality and Childhood Malnutrition in Bangladesh
Author Information
Author(s): Hong Rathavuth, Banta James E, Betancourt Jose A
Primary Institution: George Washington University, School of Public Health and Health Services
Hypothesis
Is there a relationship between household wealth inequality and chronic childhood under-nutrition in Bangladesh?
Conclusion
Household wealth inequality is strongly associated with childhood adverse growth rate stunting.
Supporting Evidence
- Children in the poorest 20% of households are more than three times as likely to suffer from stunting compared to those in the wealthiest 20%.
- The prevalence of stunting decreases as household wealth status increases.
- The study adjusted for various confounding factors including maternal education and access to healthcare.
Takeaway
Kids from poorer families are more likely to be undernourished than those from richer families. Helping poor families can improve children's health.
Methodology
The study used multivariate logistic regressions to analyze data from the 2004 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey.
Potential Biases
The cross-sectional design may limit causal inferences.
Limitations
The study does not control for diet and other health care indicators and uses an indirect measure of household wealth.
Participant Demographics
Children aged 0-59 months from various socioeconomic backgrounds in Bangladesh.
Statistical Information
P-Value
3.6
Confidence Interval
95% CI: 3.0, 4.3
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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