Trends and geographic variability in gender inequalities in child mortality and stunting in India, 2006–2016

Bibliographic Data

ID15536736
AuthorsHarold Alderman (0000-0001-8019-6397, International Food Policy Research Institute), Phuong H Nguyen (0000-0003-3418-1674, International Food Policy Research Institute, corresponding author), Lan Mai Tran (0000-0001-5129-5716, R2M Solution (Italy)), Pratiksha Menon (0000-0001-5988-2894, International Food Policy Research Institute), Purnima Menon (Poverty, Health and Nutrition Division International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) Washington District of Columbia USA)
Year2021
Volume17
Issue3
Pagese13179-e13179
Publication date2021-03-14
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueMaternal and Child Nutrition (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1740-8695 • E-ISSN: 1740-8709
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/mcn.13179
PMID33719159
OpenAlexW3139178197
LanguageEN
Citations received5
References cited37

Gender disparities in child undernutrition and mortality in India have been a topic of interest for a long time, but little is known on trends or geographic variability in recent periods. We examined the degree to which historic patterns in gender disparities in child undernutrition and mortality in India have persisted given recent progress in health and nutrition. Using two nationally representative datasets from India between 2006 and 2016, we estimated mortality rates and stunting by gender and by birth order among children under 5 years old. We then tested for differences between boys and girls within each survey round for both national and state levels using bootstrapped standard errors, controlling for cluster and sampling weights. We found striking progress in child mortality and stunting in India between 2006 and 2016 for both boys and girls. Boys were more likely to die than girls during the first year of life. Girls had a higher risk of mortality between age 1 and 5 years than boys in 2006, but the improvements in survival eliminated this gender gap in 2016. For stunting, we found no gender difference in 2006, but girls had higher height-for-age Z-scores (HAZ) and lower stunting than boys in 2016. Trends in gender gaps in mortality and stunting vary substantially by birth order and between states. Our findings indicate that improvements in mortality and nutritional status among girls have started to close gender disparities. Policy efforts to close gaps must stay the course in states that have made progress and be accelerated in states where disparities are still prominent

Birth order · Child mortality · Environmental health · Malnutrition · Mortality rate · Population · Child Nutrition and Water Access · Demographic Trends and Gender Preferences · Demography · Global Maternal and Child Health · Medicine

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