Malnutrition among Preschool Children in China: Levels and Correlates
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This paper examines the levels & correlates of malnutrition among preschool children (under age 6) in China, using data from the 1991 China Health & Nutrition Survey (CHNS). With a focus on stunting, the standardized height-for-age measure is used as the nutrition indicator. The effects of a number of selected covariates at the individual, household, & community levels on child malnutrition are examined. The results show that 34.5% of the children in the sample are relatively severely malnourished, as indicated by their standardized height-for-age scores below -2. A multivariate analysis reveals a sibling effect: children with a large number of siblings are more likely to be malnourished. The child's daily calorie intake, parental education, & household income are found to reduce the likelihood of malnutrition. There is a significant regional or developmental effect on child malnutrition: children are more likely to be malnourished if they live in hilly or mountainous areas rather than in flat areas, & if they live in the less-developed, southwestern areas rather than in the more-developed, east coastal areas. The child's age & sex, extended household, & urban residence have no effect on malnutrition after controlling for other factors.
CONF
American Sociological Association (ASA)
Feng, Zhanlian
Cai, Qian
2000
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