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Socioeconomic Inequalities in Child Malnutrition in Bangladesh: Do They Differ by Region?

Author

Listed:
  • Mohammad Monirul Hasan

    (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), House-37, Road-8, Dhaka 1205, Bangladesh
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Jalal Uddin

    (Department of Epidemiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Mohammad Habibullah Pulok

    (Nova Scotia Health Authority, 5955 Veteran’s Memorial Lane, Halifax, NS B3H 2E1, Canada
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Nabila Zaman

    (Institute for Research, Data and Training (NB-IRDT), University of New Brunswick, 38 Dineen Drive, Fredericton, NB E3B 5A3, Canada)

  • Mohammad Hajizadeh

    (School of Health Administration, Dalhousie University, Sir Charles Tupper Medical Building, 5850 College Street, 2nd Floor, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada)

Abstract

Socioeconomic inequality in child malnutrition is well-evident in Bangladesh. However, little is known about whether this inequality differs by regional contexts. We used pooled data from the 2011 and 2014 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey to examine regional differences in socioeconomic inequalities in stunting and underweight among children under five. The analysis included 14,602 children aged 0–59 months. We used logistic regression models and the Concentration index to assess and quantify wealth- and education-related inequalities in child malnutrition. We found stunting and underweight to be more concentrated among children from poorer households and born to less-educated mothers. Although the poverty level was low in the eastern regions, socioeconomic inequalities were greater in these regions compared to the western regions. The extent of socioeconomic inequality was the highest in Sylhet and Chittagong for stunting and underweight, respectively, while it was the lowest in Khulna. Regression results demonstrated the protective effects of socioeconomic status (SES) on child malnutrition. The regional differences in the effects of SES tend to diverge at the lower levels of SES, while they converge or attenuate at the highest levels. Our findings have policy implications for developing programs and interventions targeted to reduce socioeconomic inequalities in child malnutrition in subnational regions of Bangladesh.

Suggested Citation

  • Mohammad Monirul Hasan & Jalal Uddin & Mohammad Habibullah Pulok & Nabila Zaman & Mohammad Hajizadeh, 2020. "Socioeconomic Inequalities in Child Malnutrition in Bangladesh: Do They Differ by Region?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(3), pages 1-14, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:3:p:1079-:d:318126
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Wangyang Li & Minyi Li & Yongai Jin & Shiqi Wang & Yi Zhang, 2020. "Double Jeopardy in Contemporary China: Intersecting the Socioeconomic Gradient and Geographic Context on Early Childhood Development," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(14), pages 1-24, July.
    3. Md. Shafiur Rahman & Md. Rocky Khan Chowdhury & Md. Rashedul Islam & Sarah Krull Abe & Kamal Hossain & Toshiki Iwabuchi & Kenji J. Tsuchiya & Stuart Gilmour, 2023. "Determinants and Projections of Minimum Acceptable Diet among Children Aged 6–23 Months: A National and Subnational Inequality Assessment in Bangladesh," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-14, January.

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