Determinants of women nutritional inequalities in Pakistan: regression based decomposition analysis

Abstract/Description

Globally, the dilemma of malnutrition has become a notable concern for the researchers, academicians and policy makers because of its severe consequences for many centuries. Having the sensitive stature and health, children especially under the age of 5 are more vulnerable to the poor economic, housing, environmental and other social conditions. Besides confronting economic challenges and political upheavals, Pakistan is also going through from a rough patch in the context of social development. Majority of the children are facing serious health problems in the absence of required nutrition. It is noted that children from the well-off background are less likely affected by the malnutrition. In order to underline this issue, the present study aims to highlight the existing child nutritional inequalities. Moreover, this study strives to decompose those factors that severely affect the existing nutritional inequalities. Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2012-13 was employed to assess the relevant indicators of malnutrition such as stunting, wasting, underweight and associated socioeconomic factors. The objectives were executed through the utilization of the relevant empirical techniques. Concentration indices were constructed to measure the nutritional inequalities by utilizing three measures of malnutrition; stunting, wasting and underweight. In addition to it, the decomposition analysis following the logistic regression was made to unfold the determinants that severely affect the nutritional inequalities. The negative values of concentration indices illustrate that children from marginalized background are affected from the malnutrition more than their counter parts who belong from rich households. Furthermore, the result of decomposition analysis indicates that child age, size of child at birth, wealth index, household size, parents’ education, mother’s health and place of residence are the most contributing factors in the prevalence of existing nutritional inequalities Considering the result of the study, it is suggested to the policy makers to design policies in a way so that the health sector of Pakistan can stimulate in a productive manner. Increasing the number of effective health awareness programs for mothers would create notable difference. Moreover, the education of the mothers must be concerned by the policy makers as it has significant association with the present research in terms of eradicating the nutritional inequalities among children.

Session Theme

Poverty, Nutrition and Inequality - Session - IIIB

Session Type

Parallel Technical Session

Session Chair

Dr. Lubna Naz, Assistant Professor, University of Karachi

Session Discussant

Dr. Irum Saba, Assistant Professor, IBA Karachi

Start Date

3-4-2021 4:00 PM

End Date

3-4-2021 5:30 PM

Comments

  • Nilam Bano is Mphil Scholar at AERC, University of Karachi
  • Uzma Iram is Assistant Professor/Research Economist at AERC, University of Karachi

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS
 
Apr 3rd, 4:00 PM Apr 3rd, 5:30 PM

Determinants of women nutritional inequalities in Pakistan: regression based decomposition analysis

Globally, the dilemma of malnutrition has become a notable concern for the researchers, academicians and policy makers because of its severe consequences for many centuries. Having the sensitive stature and health, children especially under the age of 5 are more vulnerable to the poor economic, housing, environmental and other social conditions. Besides confronting economic challenges and political upheavals, Pakistan is also going through from a rough patch in the context of social development. Majority of the children are facing serious health problems in the absence of required nutrition. It is noted that children from the well-off background are less likely affected by the malnutrition. In order to underline this issue, the present study aims to highlight the existing child nutritional inequalities. Moreover, this study strives to decompose those factors that severely affect the existing nutritional inequalities. Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2012-13 was employed to assess the relevant indicators of malnutrition such as stunting, wasting, underweight and associated socioeconomic factors. The objectives were executed through the utilization of the relevant empirical techniques. Concentration indices were constructed to measure the nutritional inequalities by utilizing three measures of malnutrition; stunting, wasting and underweight. In addition to it, the decomposition analysis following the logistic regression was made to unfold the determinants that severely affect the nutritional inequalities. The negative values of concentration indices illustrate that children from marginalized background are affected from the malnutrition more than their counter parts who belong from rich households. Furthermore, the result of decomposition analysis indicates that child age, size of child at birth, wealth index, household size, parents’ education, mother’s health and place of residence are the most contributing factors in the prevalence of existing nutritional inequalities Considering the result of the study, it is suggested to the policy makers to design policies in a way so that the health sector of Pakistan can stimulate in a productive manner. Increasing the number of effective health awareness programs for mothers would create notable difference. Moreover, the education of the mothers must be concerned by the policy makers as it has significant association with the present research in terms of eradicating the nutritional inequalities among children.