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Hunger in India - Facts and Challenges

Author

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  • Svedberg, Peter

    (Institute for International Economic Studies, Stockholm University)

Abstract

A very large data set on the incidence of children with an anthropometric status below standard norms in India has recently been made available to the international research community. This paper is a preliminary attempt to provide a “map” of the anthropometric status of children in the region (developments over time, by state, and the urban/rural divide). Of special interest is that the question of differences along gender lines can be examined for a considerably larger and more representative set of observations (up to 46 000 children from all Indian states) than has feasible earlier. The surprising result – in sharp contrast to previous findings and conventional wisdom – is that there are no systematic or significant differences in the frequency of male and female children below the height and weight norms. Some tentative hypotheses for this result is offered in the paper, but more thorough examination and tests are work in progress.

Suggested Citation

  • Svedberg, Peter, 2002. "Hunger in India - Facts and Challenges," Seminar Papers 699, Stockholm University, Institute for International Economic Studies.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:iiessp:0699
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Svedberg, Peter, 2001. "Undernutrition Overestimated," Seminar Papers 693, Stockholm University, Institute for International Economic Studies.
    2. Heston, Alan, 1994. "A brief review of some problems in using national accounts data in level of output comparisons and growth studies," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 44(1), pages 29-52, June.
    3. Nube, M., 2001. "Confronting Dietary Energy Supply with Anthropometry in the Assessment of Undernutrition Prevalence at the Level of Countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 29(7), pages 1275-1289, July.
    4. Svedberg, Peter, 2000. "Poverty and Undernutrition: Theory, Measurement, and Policy," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198292685.
    5. Svedberg, Peter, 1999. "841 Million Undernourished?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 27(12), pages 2081-2098, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Kenneth Harttgen & Mark Misselhorn, 2006. "A Multilevel Approach to Explain Child Mortality and Undernutrition in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa," Ibero America Institute for Econ. Research (IAI) Discussion Papers 152, Ibero-America Institute for Economic Research.
    2. David Fuente & Maura Allaire & Marc Jeuland & Dale Whittington, 2020. "Forecasts of mortality and economic losses from poor water and sanitation in sub-Saharan Africa," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(3), pages 1-24, March.

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • J10 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - General
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • O18 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Urban, Rural, Regional, and Transportation Analysis; Housing; Infrastructure

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