Household wealth and child health in India

Popul Stud (Camb). 2014 Mar;68(1):15-41. doi: 10.1080/00324728.2013.795601. Epub 2013 Jun 14.

Abstract

Using data from the Indian National Family Health Surveys (1992-93, 1998-99, 2005-06), this study examined how the relationship between household wealth and child health evolved during a time of significant economic change in India. The main predictor was an innovative measure of household wealth that captures changes in wealth over time. Discrete-time logistic models (with community fixed effects) were used to examine mortality and malnutrition outcomes: infant, child, and under-5 mortality; stunting, wasting, and being underweight. Analysis was conducted at the national, urban/rural, and regional levels, separately for boys and girls. The results indicate that the relationship between household wealth and under-5 mortality weakened over time but this result was dominated by infant mortality. The relationship between wealth and child mortality stayed strong for girls. The relationship between household wealth and malnutrition became stronger over time for boys and particularly for girls, in urban and (especially) rural areas.

MeSH terms

  • Child
  • Child Mortality
  • Child Nutrition Disorders / economics
  • Child Nutrition Disorders / epidemiology
  • Child Welfare / economics
  • Child Welfare / statistics & numerical data*
  • Child, Preschool
  • Family Characteristics
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Income / statistics & numerical data*
  • India / epidemiology
  • Infant
  • Infant Mortality
  • Logistic Models
  • Male
  • Rural Population / statistics & numerical data
  • Sex Factors
  • Thinness / economics
  • Thinness / epidemiology
  • Urban Population / statistics & numerical data
  • Wasting Syndrome / economics
  • Wasting Syndrome / epidemiology