Gender Analysis of Malnutrition: A Case Study of School-Going Children in Bahawalpur

The literature confirmed the existence of gender discrimination in children’s health, nutrition and education in South Asia. This study examines, whether there are sex differences in stunting and wasting among schooling-going children (5-14 years) and how they are affected by socioeconomic factors. A sample of 684 school-going children of both sexes (376 male children and 308 female children) was selected randomly from different schools of both urban and rural areas of Bahawalpur. Weight and height were taken according to anthropometric measurements. The nutritional indices of World Health Organization (WHO) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) were used as nutritional standards. The stunting and wasting rates were found 10.1 and 15.2 percent for males and 15.2 and 25 percent for female children respectively. The binary logistic regression for two indices of malnutrition, i.e. wasting and stunting were run separately for male children and female children to determine gender discrimination in nutritional status of children. The probability of being stunted and wasted by increase in age was found significantly lower for females as compared to male children. The male and female children of nuclear households have higher probability to be stunted and wasted respectively but the effect has been found more severe for female children. Mother’s education emerged as one of the most important variables which decrease the probability of stunting for both male and female children. The effect is found more favorable for male as compared to female children. Household income status and living condition index has shown no significant effect on probability of malnutrition of male and female children.