Association between socio-economic status and childhood undernutrition in Bangladesh; a comparison of possession score and poverty index

Datos Bibliográficos

ID15093166
AutoresMasuda Mohsena (0000-0002-4963-8799, University of Cambridge, autor de correspondencia), CG Nicholas Mascie-Taylor (University of Cambridge), Rie Goto (0000-0002-6220-6659, University of Cambridge)
Año2010
Volumen13
Número10
Páginas1498-1504
Fecha de publicación2010-10-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaPublic Health Nutrition (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 1368-9800 • E-ISSN: 1475-2727
EditorialCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s1368980010001758
PMID20576197
OpenAlexW2060886133
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas23
Referencias citadas9

Objective To determine how much of the variation in nutritional status of Bangladeshi children under 5 years old can be attributed to the socio-economic status of the family. Design Nutritional status used reference Z -scores of weight-for-age (WAZ), height-for-age (HAZ) and weight-for-height (WHZ). A ‘possession score’ was generated based on ownership of a radio, television, bicycle, motorcycle and telephone, and the availability of electricity, with categories of 0 to 4+ possessions. A five-point (quintile) ‘poverty index’ was created using principal component analysis. Setting The Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2004 was the source of data. Subjects A sample of 4891 children aged Results Some 57·8 % of the sample was either stunted, wasted or underweight (7·7 % were stunted, wasted and underweight). Of those stunted (48·4 %), 25·7 % were also underweight. Underweight and wasting prevalences were 40·7 % and 14·3 %, respectively. Mean WAZ, HAZ and WHZ did not differ by sex. Children of mothers with no education or no possessions were, on average, about 1 sd more underweight and stunted than those with higher educated mothers or with 4+ possessions. The possession score provided much greater discrimination of undernutrition than the poverty index. Nearly 50 % of children from households with no possessions were stunted, wasted or underweight (only 27 % in the poorest quintile), compared with only 3–6 % of children from households with 4+ possessions (over 13 % in the richest quintile). Conclusions Maternal education and possession score were the main predictors of a child’s nutritional status. Possession score was a much better indicator of undernutrition than the poverty index

Body mass index · Economic growth · Environmental health · Malnutrition · Overweight · Possession (linguistics · Poverty · Underweight · Wasting · Child Nutrition and Water Access · Demography · Food Security and Health in Diverse Populations · Medicine · Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare