Quantile regression approach to estimating prevalence and determinants of child malnutrition

Aim: Child malnutrition is also associated with higher incidence of morbidity and mortality. Therefore, it is imperative to have knowledge of its correlates and determinants. The objective of this paper is to examine the association between demographic and socioeconomic factors and child nutritional status in Bangladesh. Subject and methods: A secondary data analysis was conducted using the 2014 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey data. The surveys used a stratified two-stage cluster sampling. In the first stage, 600 enumeration areas (EAs) were selected with probability proportional to the EA size. In the second stage of selection, a fixed number of 30 households per cluster will be selected with an equal probability systematic selection from the household listing. The sample constitutes 17,886 ever-married women age 15–49, with 34.38% and 65.62% from urban and rural areas respectively. The anthropometric indicators height-for-age, weight-for-age and weight-for-height z-scores were used as the primary and secondary outcome measures. Results: Results show that age and birth order of child is negatively associated with height-for-age, weight-for-age, and weight-for-height z-scores. However, the size of the child at birth is positively allied with the three anthropometric indicators. Mothers’ BMI and educational level are positively connected with the nutrition z-scores, but these factors have differential effects at different points of the conditional distribution of the anthropometric z-scores. Moreover, the economic status of a family is an essential factor in determining the z-score of height-for-age, weight-for-age, and weight-for-height of a child. Conclusion: The age, size of child at birth, mother’s BMI and educational status, and wealth index are very important determinants of the z-score of the anthropometric indicators of a child. In order to improve the nutritional status of children in Bangladesh, the authors suggest that a joint effort by the government, non-governmental organizations, and the community is absolutely essential.