TY - JOUR
T1 - Does planning of births affect childhood undernutrition? Evidence from demographic and health surveys of selected South Asian countries
AU - Rana, Md Juel
AU - Goli, Srinivas
PY - 2018/3/1
Y1 - 2018/3/1
N2 - Objective: The prevalence of child undernutrition in South Asia is high, as is also the unmet need for family planning. In previous literature, the biodemographic relationship of family planning, particularly birth order and birth spacing, and nutritional status of children have been assessed separately. The aim of this study was to work on the hypothesis that the planning of births comprising timing, spacing, and number of births improves child undernutrition, especially in the areas with high prevalence of stunting and underweight. Methods: We used recent Demographic and Health Survey data from four selected South Asian countries. Binary logistic regression models were applied to estimate the adjusted percentage of stunting and underweight by identified independent factors. Results: Findings suggested that after controlling for other socioeconomic factors, children in the first birth order with >24 mo of interval between marriage and first birth have a lower risk for stunting (20%; p < 0.01) and underweight (14%; p < 0.05), respectively, than other scenarios of the planning of births. The probability of child undernutrition is lower among children born with >24 mo of birth spacing than its counterpart in all birth orders, but the significance of birth spacing reduces with increasing birth orders. Conclusion: Appropriate planning of births using family planning methods in countries with high birth rates has the potential to reduce childhood undernutrition. Thus, the planning of births emerges as an important biodemographic approach to eradicate childhood undernutrition especially in developing regions like South Asia and thereby to achieve sustainable development goals by 2030.
AB - Objective: The prevalence of child undernutrition in South Asia is high, as is also the unmet need for family planning. In previous literature, the biodemographic relationship of family planning, particularly birth order and birth spacing, and nutritional status of children have been assessed separately. The aim of this study was to work on the hypothesis that the planning of births comprising timing, spacing, and number of births improves child undernutrition, especially in the areas with high prevalence of stunting and underweight. Methods: We used recent Demographic and Health Survey data from four selected South Asian countries. Binary logistic regression models were applied to estimate the adjusted percentage of stunting and underweight by identified independent factors. Results: Findings suggested that after controlling for other socioeconomic factors, children in the first birth order with >24 mo of interval between marriage and first birth have a lower risk for stunting (20%; p < 0.01) and underweight (14%; p < 0.05), respectively, than other scenarios of the planning of births. The probability of child undernutrition is lower among children born with >24 mo of birth spacing than its counterpart in all birth orders, but the significance of birth spacing reduces with increasing birth orders. Conclusion: Appropriate planning of births using family planning methods in countries with high birth rates has the potential to reduce childhood undernutrition. Thus, the planning of births emerges as an important biodemographic approach to eradicate childhood undernutrition especially in developing regions like South Asia and thereby to achieve sustainable development goals by 2030.
KW - Birth interval
KW - Birth order
KW - Interval between marriage and first birth
KW - Planning of births
KW - South Asia
KW - Undernutrition
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85044669462&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.nut.2017.10.006
DO - 10.1016/j.nut.2017.10.006
M3 - Article
C2 - 29429542
AN - SCOPUS:85044669462
SN - 0899-9007
VL - 47
SP - 90
EP - 96
JO - Nutrition
JF - Nutrition
ER -