Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-r7xzm Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-27T08:26:16.068Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

SOCIOECONOMIC DIFFERENTIALS IN NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF CHILDREN IN THE STATES OF WEST BENGAL AND ASSAM, INDIA

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 July 2005

SUPARNA SOM
Affiliation:
Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, India
MANORANJAN PAL
Affiliation:
Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, India
BISHWANATH BHATTACHARYA
Affiliation:
Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, India
SUSMITA BHARATI
Affiliation:
Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, India
PREMANANDA BHARATI
Affiliation:
Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, India

Abstract

Malnutrition among children is prevalent in almost all the states in India. This study assesses the extent and causes of malnutrition in two eastern Indian states with similar climates, namely West Bengal and Assam, using data from the National Family Health Survey 1998–99 (NFHS-2). The three indices of malnutrition taken for analysis are weight-for-height (WHZ), height-for-age (HAZ) and weight-for-age (WAZ). These are assumed to depend on birth order, preceding birth interval, parent’s educational status, working status of the mother, mother’s age at delivery of the children, source of drinking water, toilet facilities and standard of living of the household. Logistic regression was carried out separately for each of the three indices on the explanatory variables for both the states. It was found that not all variables are equally important in determining whether a baby is underweight, or suffering from acute or chronic malnutrition. Also, the importance of variables is not the same in the two states. It was observed that the coefficients associated with the variables in determining weight-for-height are not significant compared with those for weight-for-age and height-for-age.

Type
Regular Articles
Copyright
2005 Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)