Stunted child - overweight mother pairs: an emerging policy concern?

cg.authorship.typesCGIAR single centre
cg.creator.identifierJames Garrett: 0000-0003-4676-7859
cg.creator.identifierMarie Ruel: 0000-0002-9506-348X
cg.identifier.projectIFPRI - Archive
cg.issue2
cg.placeNew York, New York
cg.reviewStatusPeer Review
dc.contributor.authorGarrett, James L.
dc.contributor.authorRuel, Marie T.
dc.date.accessioned2024-10-24T12:51:53Zen
dc.date.available2024-10-24T12:51:53Zen
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/157791
dc.titleStunted child - overweight mother pairs: an emerging policy concern?en
dcterms.abstractThis paper explores the prevalence of the coexistence of a stunted child and an overweight mother in the same household (SCOWT), a somewhat paradoxical phenomenon when found in the developing world. It tests whether this phenomenon is associated with a country's level of economic development and urbanization and, by implication, the nutrition transition. It then highlights policy directions for public nutrition. Data from 42 Demographic and Health Surveys in Africa, Asia, and Latin America were used. Stunting was defined as height-for-age < −2 SD of the reference population, and maternal overweight as a body-mass index > 25 kg/m2. World Bank and United Nations figures were used for gross domestic product (GDP) per capita (an indicator of economic development) and for level of urbanization. Descriptive statistics were derived, and regression analysis was used to model the association between economic development, urbanization, and the prevalence of pairs of stunted children and overweight mothers. The prevalence of this phenomenon is generally below 10%, except in four countries, three of them in Latin America. The phenomenon is generally more prevalent in Latin America than in Africa, though not necessarily more prevalent in urban than in rural areas. The analysis finds that the phenomenon is associated with economic development, but not urbanization, and that it does differ between urban and rural areas and regions. The association with GDP per capita supports the hypothesis that SCOWT increases with economic development, up to a point. SCOWT appears to be most prevalent, as expected, in those countries in the midst of the nutrition transition. Recognizing this phenomenon is important for delineating strategies that respond to the differential needs of individuals within the household and do not just affect the household as a whole. This may become especially important with future economic development and, potentially, urbanization.en
dcterms.accessRightsLimited Access
dcterms.bibliographicCitationGarrett, James L.; Ruel, Marie T. 2003. Stunted child - overweight mother pairs: an emerging policy concern? SCN News.en
dcterms.issued2003
dcterms.languageen
dcterms.publisherUnited Nations
dcterms.replaceshttps://ebrary.ifpri.org/digital/collection/p15738coll5/id/1944
dcterms.subjectwomenen
dcterms.subjecthygieneen
dcterms.subjectobesityen
dcterms.subjectchildrenen
dcterms.subjectlivelihoodsen
dcterms.subjectrural urban relationsen
dcterms.subjectgenderen
dcterms.subjectnutritionen
dcterms.subjecteconomic situationen
dcterms.subjectmothersen
dcterms.typeJournal Article

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