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Associations between women’s empowerment and child development, growth, and nurturing care practices in sub-Saharan Africa: A cross-sectional analysis of demographic and health survey data

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  • Lilia Bliznashka
  • Ifeyinwa E Udo
  • Christopher R Sudfeld
  • Wafaie W Fawzi
  • Aisha K Yousafzai

Abstract

Background: Approximately 40% of children 3 to 4 years of age in low- and middle-income countries have suboptimal development and growth. Women’s empowerment may help provide inputs of nurturing care for early development and growth by building caregiver capacity and family support. We examined the associations between women’s empowerment and child development, growth, early learning, and nutrition in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Methods and findings: We pooled data on married women (15 to 49 years) and their children (36 to 59 months) from Demographic and Health Surveys that collected data on child development (2011 to 2018) in 9 SSA countries (N = 21,434): Benin, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, Togo, and Uganda. We constructed a women’s empowerment score using factor analysis and assigned women to country-specific quintile categories. The child outcomes included cognitive, socioemotional, literacy–numeracy, and physical development (Early Childhood Development Index), linear growth (height-for-age Z-score (HAZ) and stunting (HAZ

Suggested Citation

  • Lilia Bliznashka & Ifeyinwa E Udo & Christopher R Sudfeld & Wafaie W Fawzi & Aisha K Yousafzai, 2021. "Associations between women’s empowerment and child development, growth, and nurturing care practices in sub-Saharan Africa: A cross-sectional analysis of demographic and health survey data," PLOS Medicine, Public Library of Science, vol. 18(9), pages 1-30, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pmed00:1003781
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1003781
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    Cited by:

    1. Galvin, Lauren & Verissimo, Cristiana K. & Ambikapathi, Ramya & Gunaratna, Nilupa S. & Rudnicka, Paula & Sunseri, Amy & Jeong, Joshua & O'Malley, Savannah Froese & Yousafzai, Aisha K. & Sando, Mary Mw, 2023. "Effects of engaging fathers and bundling nutrition and parenting interventions on household gender equality and women's empowerment in rural Tanzania: Results from EFFECTS, a five-arm cluster-randomiz," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 324(C).

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