Anthropometric Failure among Children Aged 6-23 Months in India: A Study on Gender Differentials and Dietary Diversity across Geographical Regions

Ranjan Singha, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)
Paramita Majumdar, International Institute for Population Sciences, India
Dhananjay W. Bansod, International Institute for Population Sciences

Child undernutrition is a concerning issue, and the complex socio-cultural characteristics of India make it even more complicated. Although India is largely patriarchal and girls are still undervalued, the nutrition scenario is complex. Thus, the aim of this study is to assess gender-wise differentials in the anthropometric status of young children aged 6-23 months across regions of India and examine the determinants of anthropometric failure among them. The study is based on secondary data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5). The effective sample size was 57519 children aged 6 to 23 months. The outcome variable for this study is ‘anthropometric failure’ based on the Composite Index of Anthropometric Failure (CIAF). The main explanatory variable for this study is gender. Two other important explanatory variables are dietary diversity and region. Findings reveal a significant gender differential in anthropometric failure among children, with male children exhibiting a higher prevalence of undernutrition compared to their female counterparts. This trend is consistent across various geographical regions of India. Furthermore, dietary diversity emerged as a crucial determinant of anthropometric failure. Overall, these findings emphasize the need for targeted strategies that address both gender and dietary diversity to combat child undernutrition effectively in India.

Keywords: Gender Dynamics, Children, Adolescents, and Youth, Inequality, Disadvantage and Discrimination, Health and Morbidity

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