Peer-reviewed article
CURRENT SCENARIO OF WEALTH AND CHILD NUTRITION IN INDIA: MACRO AND MICRO LOOK
Nivedita Roy, Rajan Gupt, Aparajita Chattapadhyay ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examines how wealth, basic amenities, and child nutrition are related in India. Using national survey data from 2005-16, the researchers found that while wealthier states have better child health outcomes, this relationship is weakening over time. In a detailed study of 510 children in a low-income Mumbai community, access to basic facilities like drainage and sanitation, combined with freedom from infections, mattered more for child nutrition than household income alone.
Key points
- Stunting, underweight, and under-five mortality improved in India between 2005-06 and 2015-16, but improvement rates slowed despite economic growth
- The association between state GDP and child health indicators weakened over the ten-year period
- In the Mumbai slum study, basic facilities (covered drainage), lower household crowding, and absence of gastrointestinal and infectious diseases were significantly associated with better child nutrition
- Higher household income and more maternal schooling were associated with better nutrition outcomes, but only when controlling for basic amenities
- Policy focus on improving basic facilities and sanitation (like Swachh Bharat Abhiyan) is recommended as more critical than wealth alone for addressing child malnutrition
Limitations
The macro analysis relies on aggregate state-level data which cannot explain individual or household variation; the micro case study is limited to one low-income community in Mumbai and may not represent other regions or populations with different characteristics.
Abstract
The level and relationship of child health, wealth, and basic amenities are changing fast in India. How strong are the relationships of state wealth, i.e., state Gross Domestic Product and basic household amenities like sanitation facilities with child health? Using the published National Family Health Survey 2015-16 at a macro level, the paper compares the change of stunting, underweight and under-five mortality over ten years (National Family Health Survey 2005-06 to 2015-16) and explores how far child health indices are associated with state Gross Domestic Product. Though wealth and child health are positively associated in India, the strength of the relationship is declining over time, indicating that wealth per se may not guarantee the betterment of child health. Undertaking a case study with 510 children in a low-income community of Mumbai, we further establish that the availability of basic facilities and recent infections play a stronger role in determining child nutrition status when household wealth is controlled. Higher-income, more years of schooling, less crowding in a household, covered drainage system, the non-occurrence of Gastro intestine, and infectious disease are significantly associated with better child nutrition status. Sincere attention to policy on improving basic facilities and living environment to address child health issues has become mandatory. National Health Mission or health programs like Swachh Bharat Abhiyan are good initiatives to focus on improving basic facilities and living environment to address child health issues. Key Words: Wealth, Child health, Stunting, Slum, Mumbai
Findings the Hub has extracted
Each claim below is labelled by its type of design and links back to this report.
Problem
Child malnutrition (stunting and underweight) in India, particularly in low-income communities
- Intervention
- Improved basic household amenities including covered drainage systems, sanitation facilities, and reduced household crowding
- Population
- 510 children in a low-income community in Mumbai, India
Key finding
Covered drainage system significantly associated with better child nutrition status