Dataset Information

Drought and child undernutrition in Ethiopia: A longitudinal path analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The increase in the frequency of extreme events due to climate change poses a serious challenge to achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 2 of ending hunger by 2030. While evidence exists on the impact of drought on under-five children, its effect during late childhood and early adolescence remains less investigated.

Objective

This study estimates the impact of concurrent and long-term exposure to drought on linear growth during late childhood and early adolescence.

Methods

Four rounds (2002-2013) of data from the young lives Cohort Study dataset (n = 2000) was used. The associations of concurrent and long-term exposure to drought and Height-for-age z-score was analysed using structural equation modelling techniques. The study also explored the mediating role of interim period growth in the association of early exposure to drought and undernutrition at later age and the role of the Productive Safety Net Program in buffering the impact of drought on child nutrition.

Results

Results show that both concurrent and long-term exposure to drought was negatively associated with Height-for-age z-score (p < 0.001). Exposure to drought at age 5, 8, and 12 years is associated with lower Height-for-age z- score at age 5, 8, and 12 years respectively. Exposure to drought at age 5 years was also negatively associated with Height-for-age z-score at age 12 years (p < 0.001). This association was mainly indirect (89%) and mediated through reduced child growth in subsequent years. Participation in productive safety net program by drought-affected children reduces but does not completely offset the negative effects of drought on Height-for-age z-score (p < 0.1). Moreover, girls were more likely to suffer poor growth than boys.

Conclusion

Drought exposure after the 1,000 days window could have a lasting impact on child growth. Given the importance of this period for child physical and mental development, children beyond the 1,000 days window should also be a focus of disaster relief programs.

SUBMITTER: Bahru BA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6576771 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Drought and child undernutrition in Ethiopia: A longitudinal path analysis.

Bahru Bezawit Adugna BA Bosch Christine C Birner Regina R Zeller Manfred M

PloS one 20190617 6

<h4>Background</h4>The increase in the frequency of extreme events due to climate change poses a serious challenge to achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 2 of ending hunger by 2030. While evidence exists on the impact of drought on under-five children, its effect during late childhood and early adolescence remains less investigated.<h4>Objective</h4>This study estimates the impact of concurrent and long-term exposure to drought on linear growth during late childhood and early adolescence. ...[more]

PMID: 31206545

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Project description:BackgroundWith increasing urbanization in India, child growth among urban poor has emerged as a paramount public health concern amidst the continuously growing slum population and deteriorating quality of life. This study analyses child undernutrition among urban poor and non-poor and decomposes the contribution of various factors influencing socio-economic inequality. This paper uses data from two recent rounds of National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3&4) conducted during 2005-06 and 2015-16.MethodsThe concentration index (CI) and the concentration curve (CC) measure socio-economic inequality in child growth in terms of stunting, wasting, and underweight. Wagstaff decomposition further analyses key contributors in CI by segregating significant covariates into five groups-mother's factor, health-seeking factors, environmental factors, child factors, and socio-economic factors.ResultsThe prevalence of child undernutrition was more pronounced among children from poor socio-economic strata. The concentration index decreased for stunting (-?0.186 to -?0.156), underweight (-?0.213 to -?0.162) and wasting (-?0.116 to -?0.045) from 2005 to 06 to 2015-16 respectively. The steepness in growth was more among urban poor than among urban non-poor in every age interval. Maternal education contributed about 19%, 29%, and 33% to the inequality in stunting, underweight and wasting, respectively during 2005-06. During 2005-06 as well as 2015-16, maternal factors (specifically mother's education) were the highest contributory factors in explaining rich-poor inequality in stunting as well as underweight. More than 85% of the economic inequality in stunting, underweight, and wasting among urban children were explained by maternal factors, environmental factors, and health-seeking factors.ConclusionAll the nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions in urban areas should be prioritized, focusing on urban poor, who are often clustered in low-income slums. Rich-poor inequality in child growth calls out for integration and convergence of nutrition interventions with policy interventions aimed at poverty reduction. There is also a need to expand the scope of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) program to provide mass education regarding nutrition and health by making provisions of home visits of workers primarily focusing on pregnant and lactating mothers.

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Dataset Information

Drought and child undernutrition in Ethiopia: A longitudinal path analysis.

Background

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Publications

Drought and child undernutrition in Ethiopia: A longitudinal path analysis.

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