Structured Additive Quantile Regression for Assessing the Determinants of Childhood Anemia in Rwanda

Faustin Habyarimana, Temesgen Zewotir and Shaun Ramroop
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Faustin Habyarimana: School of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg Campus, Private Bag X01, Scottsville 3209, South Africa
Temesgen Zewotir: School of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus, Durban 4000, South Africa
Shaun Ramroop: School of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg Campus, Private Bag X01, Scottsville 3209, South Africa

IJERPH, 2017, vol. 14, issue 6, 1-15

Abstract: Childhood anemia is among the most significant health problems faced by public health departments in developing countries. This study aims at assessing the determinants and possible spatial effects associated with childhood anemia in Rwanda. The 2014/2015 Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey (RDHS) data was used. The analysis was done using the structured spatial additive quantile regression model. The findings of this study revealed that the child’s age; the duration of breastfeeding; gender of the child; the nutritional status of the child (whether underweight and/or wasting); whether the child had a fever; had a cough in the two weeks prior to the survey or not; whether the child received vitamin A supplementation in the six weeks before the survey or not; the household wealth index; literacy of the mother; mother’s anemia status; mother’s age at the birth are all significant factors associated with childhood anemia in Rwanda. Furthermore, significant structured spatial location effects on childhood anemia was found.

Keywords: child malnutrition status; conditional distribution; hemoglobin; smoothing function (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:14:y:2017:i:6:p:652-:d:101835

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