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The family, institutional context and child anthropometry

The family, institutional context and child anthropometry. Children in Developing Countries Renata Serra – April 3 rd 2007. Child anthropometry / malnutrition. Stunting: low height-for-age Chronic, long-term under-nutrition + poor health Wasting: low weight-for-height

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The family, institutional context and child anthropometry

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  1. The family, institutional context and child anthropometry Children in Developing Countries Renata Serra – April 3rd 2007

  2. Child anthropometry / malnutrition • Stunting: low height-for-age • Chronic, long-term under-nutrition + poor health • Wasting: low weight-for-height • Acute, short-term under-nutrition + poor health • Under-nutrition is more about nutrient composition than food quantity per se • Deficiency of Vitamin A, iron, protein, etc. • Worldwide, about 25% of children under-5 are under-nourished • About half are in South Asia (highest absolute prevalence) • Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest relative prevalence

  3. The linkages Caretakers’ behavior Institutional context Child anthropometry Public services provisioning Food intake + diseases National and international policies Employment, Economic sectors, etc.

  4. Looking inside households & families • Household ≠ family: both are crucial • Caretakers-child relationships mediated by: • Residential arrangements • Nuclear versus extended household • Stable vs. unstable marital arrangements • Social and cultural norms • Who gets what inside the HH? E.g. gender • Connections between different residential units • Help and cost-sharing (child fostering)

  5. The household • Cooperation and conflict coexist • Income-pooling is not a universal feature • Limited joint decision-making (See figures 2.1- 2.3 in UNICEF 2007) • Responsibility for children is mediated by both individual circumstances and social norms. • Give examples! • The female-headed household (FHH) • FHHs are 20% of HHs worldwide • Not always the poorest: help from outside, better internal resource allocation, prioritization for child-expenses

  6. Household and family structure • Article by Desai (1992) • In what ways do family and HH structures differ between WA and LA? • Marital instability in LA countries • Shared responsibilities for child-rearing in SSA • What is the effect of these differences in terms of child anthropometry? • What are the policy implications?

  7. The role of gender • Institutional factors / social norms • Age gap at marriage and women’s status in the family • Women’s mobility (geographical and socio-economic) • Women’s role in the wider society, legal provisions, etc. • Women’s individual characteristics are also important in affecting child nutrition and health • Own income source and income control • Education level • Autonomy in decision-making • Type of work (flexibility, compatibility with child-care)

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