Assessment of a Community-Based Nutrition Program for Women and Children in Nepal Using Demographic and Health Survey

Gauri Joshi, Masaru Ichihashi and Chalise Binaya
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Gauri Joshi: Graduate School of Humanities and Social Science, Hiroshima University, Higashihiroshima 739-8529, Japan
Chalise Binaya: Graduate School of Humanities and Social Science, Hiroshima University, Higashihiroshima 739-8529, Japan

IJERPH, 2024, vol. 21, issue 6, 1-14

Abstract: Undernutrition is a particularly acute problem in middle- and low-income countries. The “Suaahara” program is a 5-year community-focused program in Nepal, aimed at improving the health and nutrition of pregnant and lactating women and their children under the age of 2 years. This research contributes to evidence on the impact of the “Suaahara” program in 41 treated districts compared to 34 control districts. Using the difference-in-differences method, we found that the weight-for-height z-score and body mass index z-score of children under the age of 2 in the treated districts significantly increased by 0.223 standard deviations (SDs) and 0.236 SDs, respectively, compared with the control districts 5 years before and after the program. The number of antenatal care visits (at least four visits) and safe deliveries significantly increased for pregnant women by 10.4% and 9.1%, respectively, in the treated districts compared with the control districts. The prevalence of fever in children under 2 years of age was significantly reduced by 6.2% in the treated districts. The results show the significance of a policy evaluation with transparent indicators on public health, which is necessary for policymakers so that they can propose evidence-based policy.

Keywords: undernutrition; difference-in-differences method; weight-for-age z-score; weight-for-height z-score; height-for-age z-score (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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