Ramaprasad Rajaram1, Jessica M Perkins2,3,4, William Joe5, S V Subramanian2,3. 1. Lead Economist and Associate Director, Athena Infonomics, Chennai, India. ramaprasad.r@athenainfonomics.in. 2. Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, 9 Bow Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA. 3. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA. 4. Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Global Health, Boston, MA, USA. 5. Institute of Economic Growth (IEG), University of Delhi Enclave, North Campus, Delhi, 110007, India.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Investigate the relationship between maternal autonomy at multiple levels and the risk of child stunting, underweight, and wasting in India. METHODS: Data were from a 2005-2006 nationally representative, cross-sectional sample of 51,555 children under 5 years from 29 states in India. Multilevel, multivariable, logistic regression analyses were used to estimate the odds of child stunting, underweight, and wasting in relation to maternal autonomy in healthcare, movement, and money at the individual level and community level, while adjusting for several child, maternal, and household factors. RESULTS: When only adjusting for child age and sex, children in communities with a high proportion of women with autonomy in healthcare, or movement, or money, separately, had a lower risk of being stunted, underweight, or wasted, separately. However, adjusting for other explanatory factors attenuated these relationships and made them statistically insignificant. Individual maternal autonomy in any of the three domains was not associated with any of the outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that caution should be taken when interpreting the direct relevance of maternal autonomy at both individual and community levels to measures of child undernutrition.
OBJECTIVES: Investigate the relationship between maternal autonomy at multiple levels and the risk of child stunting, underweight, and wasting in India. METHODS: Data were from a 2005-2006 nationally representative, cross-sectional sample of 51,555 children under 5 years from 29 states in India. Multilevel, multivariable, logistic regression analyses were used to estimate the odds of child stunting, underweight, and wasting in relation to maternal autonomy in healthcare, movement, and money at the individual level and community level, while adjusting for several child, maternal, and household factors. RESULTS: When only adjusting for child age and sex, children in communities with a high proportion of women with autonomy in healthcare, or movement, or money, separately, had a lower risk of being stunted, underweight, or wasted, separately. However, adjusting for other explanatory factors attenuated these relationships and made them statistically insignificant. Individual maternal autonomy in any of the three domains was not associated with any of the outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that caution should be taken when interpreting the direct relevance of maternal autonomy at both individual and community levels to measures of child undernutrition.
Authors: Robert E Black; Lindsay H Allen; Zulfiqar A Bhutta; Laura E Caulfield; Mercedes de Onis; Majid Ezzati; Colin Mathers; Juan Rivera Journal: Lancet Date: 2008-01-19 Impact factor: 79.321
Authors: Alan D Dangour; Louise Watson; Oliver Cumming; Sophie Boisson; Yan Che; Yael Velleman; Sue Cavill; Elizabeth Allen; Ricardo Uauy Journal: Cochrane Database Syst Rev Date: 2013-08-01
Authors: Kenda Cunningham; George B Ploubidis; Purnima Menon; Marie Ruel; Suneetha Kadiyala; Ricardo Uauy; Elaine Ferguson Journal: Public Health Nutr Date: 2015-03-23 Impact factor: 4.022
Authors: Marianne V Santoso; Rachel Bezner Kerr; John Hoddinott; Priya Garigipati; Sophia Olmos; Sera L Young Journal: Adv Nutr Date: 2019-11-01 Impact factor: 8.701
Authors: Ana María Osorio; Gustavo Alfonso Romero; Harold Bonilla; Luis Fernando Aguado Journal: Rev Saude Publica Date: 2018-07-26 Impact factor: 2.106