Revisiting the Determinants of Child Anthropometric Indicators in India Using Seemingly Unrelated Regressions Model

G. Naline () and Brinda Viswanathan ()
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G. Naline: Madras School of Economics
Brinda Viswanathan: Madras School of Economics

Working Papers from Madras School of Economics,Chennai,India

Abstract: This study uses the NFHS-3 data to estimate SUR model for HAZ, WAZ and WHZ to understand how the determinants of intergenerational transmission, feeding and care practices and ICDS vary in their impact when these commonly used measures of child nutritional status are considered together in a systems framework. Asexpected mother’s height, BMI and anemia levels are all highly important in explaining the variations with large impact of height on HAZ, of BMI on WAZ and more widespread impact of anemia on WHZ. Initiation of breastfeeding within an hour of child’s birth, exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months, and inclusion of protein rich diets for the older children has a large impact on HAZ and so does access of daily food supplements from ICDS by rural children. Other predictors such as wealth status, safe water access, sanitation and use of clean cooking fuel by the households, are found to be strongly associated with all the indicators. The results from this study strengthen the evidence that though multiple determinants play a role in child’s growth the key factors are in the mother to child transmission and in quality of early child care of feeding habits and preventive and curative health care practices.

Keywords: Child under-nutrition; stunting; underweight; wasting; Seemingly Unrelated Regression; India (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C51 I12 I13 I14 J13 O15 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 56 pages
Date: 2016-03
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dem, nep-dev and nep-hea
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