Assignment Report: Determinants of Child Undernutrition in Bangladesh: Literature Review
Abstract
This literature review identifies and summarises existing evidence on the determinants of undernutrition in children under the age of two years in Bangladesh. The review gathers evidence on the immediate, underlying and basic determinants of child undernutrition. While these determinants fall into various thematic categories, they are by no means discrete. Instead they are interconnected by multiple overlapping causal factors. Underlying factors include income poverty; household food insecurity; and water, sanitation and health (WASH). Food insecurity affects infant feeding practices and dietary diversity, often influenced by seasonality – where low income households are at higher risk during the monsoon season than during the dry season. Food price increases are positively associated with the prevalence of underweight children and inversely associated with household non-grain expenditures, an indicator of dietary quality. WASH factors impact the infective environment of children. The gender dimension is a strong element. Female-headed households are more vulnerable to food insecurity.
Citation
Nabeela Ahmed; Barnett, I.; Longhurst, R. Assignment Report: Determinants of Child Undernutrition in Bangladesh: Literature Review. MQSUN, (2015) 30 pp.
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