Assessing socioeconomic inequalities in the reduction of child stunting in sub-Saharan Africa

  • Journal of Public Health (Germany), Volume 28, No. 5, Year 2020

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Study Justification:
– The study aims to assess socioeconomic inequalities in child stunting in sub-Saharan Africa.
– Health and nutrition in early childhood are crucial for survival, growth, and long-term outcomes.
– Despite global and national interventions, child malnutrition remains a significant issue in the region.
– Understanding the nature and trends of socioeconomic inequalities in child stunting is essential for targeted interventions.
Study Highlights:
– The study used data from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHSs) conducted between 2000 and 2016 in ten sub-Saharan African countries.
– Pro-rich inequalities in child stunting were found across the region.
– Children living in households with low socioeconomic status were more likely to experience stunting.
– While there have been declines in stunting prevalence since 2000, socioeconomic inequalities in stunting show mixed trends.
– Child, maternal, and household characteristics contribute significantly to inequalities in child stunting.
Recommendations for Lay Reader:
– Design and target nutrition-based interventions specifically for children in low socioeconomic households.
– Promote female education to improve child nutrition.
– Improve access to health and nutrition information for better child nutrition outcomes.
Recommendations for Policy Maker:
– Develop and implement targeted nutrition programs for children in low socioeconomic households.
– Invest in initiatives that promote female education, as it has a positive impact on child nutrition.
– Strengthen health and nutrition information dissemination to improve child nutrition outcomes.
Key Role Players:
– Government agencies responsible for health and nutrition policies and programs.
– Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working in the field of child nutrition.
– Health professionals, including doctors, nurses, and nutritionists.
– Educators and schools, particularly those focused on female education.
– Community leaders and local organizations involved in promoting health and nutrition.
Cost Items for Planning Recommendations:
– Development and implementation of targeted nutrition programs.
– Funding for education initiatives aimed at improving female education.
– Resources for health and nutrition information campaigns.
– Training and capacity building for health professionals.
– Monitoring and evaluation of interventions.
– Research and data collection to track progress and inform future interventions.

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Aim: Health and nutrition in early childhood are essential for survival, growth and adult life outcomes. As such, a number of global and national interventions have been pursued to improve early childhood health and nutrition. However, child malnutrition is pervasive and endemic across the sub Saharan Africa. This paper therefore assesses the nature and trends of socioeconomic inequalities in child stunting. The paper proceeds to decompose the causes of such socioeconomic-related inequalities over the period covered. Subjects and methods: We used data from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHSs) for ten sub-Saharan African countries conducted between 2000 and 2016. The study employs an extension to the concentration index for binary health outcomes to measure socioeconomic inequalities in stunting and decompose the causes of inequalities in stunting using a generalized decomposition technique based on recentered influence function regressions. Results: The results show substantial pro-rich inequalities in child stunting across sub-Saharan Africa. The incidence of stunting are concentrated among children living in households with low socioeconomic status. In spite of persistent declines in the prevalence of stunting among children under 5 years across the study countries since 2000, trends in socioeconomic inequalities in stunting are mixed. We find significant contributions of child, maternal, and household characteristics to inequalities in child stunting. Conclusion: The results suggest that there is the need to design and target nutrition-based interventions at children in low socioeconomic households. In addition, promoting female education and improving access to health and nutrition information will be key to improving child nutrition across the region.

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The research findings suggest that to improve access to maternal health in sub-Saharan Africa, it is recommended to focus on designing and targeting nutrition-based interventions specifically at children in low socioeconomic households. This involves providing adequate nutrition and healthcare support to children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Additionally, promoting female education and improving access to health and nutrition information are identified as important factors in improving child nutrition across the region. These interventions aim to address the persistent pro-rich inequalities in child stunting and contribute to reducing child malnutrition in sub-Saharan Africa.
AI Innovations Description
The recommendation to improve access to maternal health based on the research findings is to design and target nutrition-based interventions specifically at children in low socioeconomic households in sub-Saharan Africa. This means focusing on providing adequate nutrition and healthcare support to children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Additionally, promoting female education and improving access to health and nutrition information are identified as key factors in improving child nutrition across the region. These interventions aim to address the persistent pro-rich inequalities in child stunting and contribute to reducing child malnutrition in sub-Saharan Africa.
AI Innovations Methodology
To simulate the impact of the main recommendations on improving access to maternal health, the following methodology can be employed:

1. Data Collection: Collect data on child stunting, socioeconomic status, maternal characteristics, household characteristics, and access to health and nutrition information from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHSs) conducted in sub-Saharan African countries between 2000 and 2016. Ensure that the data includes information on children from low socioeconomic households.

2. Measure Socioeconomic Inequalities: Use the concentration index for binary health outcomes to measure socioeconomic inequalities in child stunting. Calculate the concentration index for child stunting across the study countries and assess the extent of pro-rich inequalities.

3. Decompose Causes of Inequalities: Utilize a generalized decomposition technique based on recentered influence function regressions to decompose the causes of socioeconomic-related inequalities in child stunting. Identify the contributions of child, maternal, and household characteristics to these inequalities.

4. Design and Target Interventions: Based on the research findings, design and target nutrition-based interventions specifically at children in low socioeconomic households. Develop strategies to provide adequate nutrition and healthcare support to children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

5. Promote Female Education: Implement interventions that promote female education, as it is identified as a key factor in improving child nutrition across the region. This can include initiatives to increase access to education for girls and provide support for their continued education.

6. Improve Access to Health and Nutrition Information: Implement interventions to improve access to health and nutrition information for caregivers in low socioeconomic households. This can involve the development and dissemination of educational materials, workshops, and community outreach programs.

7. Monitor and Evaluate: Continuously monitor and evaluate the impact of the interventions on improving access to maternal health. Collect data on child stunting rates, socioeconomic status, maternal characteristics, household characteristics, and access to health and nutrition information. Analyze the data to assess the effectiveness of the interventions and make any necessary adjustments.

By following this methodology, researchers can simulate the impact of the main recommendations on improving access to maternal health and assess the effectiveness of the interventions in reducing child stunting and addressing socioeconomic inequalities in sub-Saharan Africa.

Statistics:
Citations: 1
Authors: 4
Identifiers:
DOI: 10.1007/s10389-019-01068-2
ISSN: 21981833
Research Areas:
Community Interventions, Disparities, Food Security, Health System and Policy, Maternal Access, Maternal and Child Health, Quality of Care, Social Determinants
Study Design:
Cohort Study, Cross Sectional Study
Participants Gender:
Female
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