Peer-reviewed article
Marital Structure and Children's Nutritional Status in Sub-Saharan Africa: Exploring the Role of Household Size and Women's Empowerment.
Aaron Kobina Christian, Charles Agyei-Asabere, Akosua Afriyie Osei-Appaw, D Yaw Atiglo ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examines how family structure affects child nutrition in 24 sub-Saharan African countries using Demographic and Health Survey data. Children living in polygynous households (where a man has multiple wives) had higher rates of anaemia, stunting, and being underweight compared to those with single mothers or in monogamous families. The research found that mother's empowerment reduced malnutrition risks, while larger household size worsened nutrition outcomes. Poverty and poor sanitation also contributed to worse nutrition, suggesting that interventions must address multiple factors including family structure, women's power in the home, and household economics.
Key points
- Children from polygynous households had higher odds of anaemia, stunting, and underweight compared to single-mother and monogamous households
- Children of empowered monogynous mothers showed lower risks of malnutrition
- Increased household size amplified childhood malnutrition in single and polygynous families
- Wealth and sanitation were significant influencers of childhood nutrition outcomes
- The study recommends interventions should consider mother's empowerment and household size as key factors
Limitations
The document is a cross-sectional analysis of survey data, which cannot establish causal relationships or explain the specific mechanisms linking marital structure to nutritional outcomes. The study does not provide detailed information about how women's empowerment was measured or the specific interventions being recommended.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Ample research explores marital structures' impact on children's nutrition, yet results are mixed, and pathways remain underexplored. In this study, we examine the effect of marital structure on children's nutritional status while estimating the mediation and moderation effects of household size and women's empowerment, respectively. METHODS: We analyzed the latest Demographic and Health Survey data from 24 sub-Saharan African countries to evaluate the odds of stunting, anaemia, and underweight in children from polygynous households compared to those with single mothers and monogamous caregivers, using multinomial logit regression. RESULTS: Children from polygynous households were more likely to be anaemic, stunted, and underweight. Children of empowered monogynous mothers were associated with lower risks of malnutrition, whereas an increase in household size amplified childhood malnutrition in single and polygynous families. Wealth and sanitation also influenced childhood nutrition, with poorer households and those lacking proper sanitation experiencing worse nutritional outcomes. CONCLUSION: This study underscores the complexity of the maternal structure and children's outcomes and suggests interventions that seek to improve children's nutrition status should factor mother's empowerment and household size as key influencers.