Maternal stature, maternal education and child growth in Pakistan: a cross-sectional study

Nazli Javid; Christy Pu; Nazli Javid; Christy Pu

doi:10.3934/publichealth.2020032

AIMS Public Health

2020, Volume 7, Issue 2: 380-392. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2020032

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Research article

Maternal stature, maternal education and child growth in Pakistan: a cross-sectional study

Nazli Javid ,
Christy Pu ^,

Institute of Public Health, National Yang-Ming University, Taiwan

Received: 14 April 2020 Accepted: 11 June 2020 Published: 15 June 2020

Pakistan has a significantly higher prevalence of stunted children under five years old compared with other countries with a similar income level. Given maternal education is a modifiable factor, we analyzed whether education has a larger marginal effect on improving children's growth for shorter stature mothers. Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey of 2012–13 was analyzed, with a total of 3,883 of children under five years of age (belonged to 2,327 mothers). The results showed that the overall prevalence of stunting, underweight, wasting, and overweight in our sample was 45%, 26.2%, 9.9%, and 9.5%, respectively. Short stature mothers have a higher number of malnourished children as compared to taller mothers. Compared to tall stature mothers, short stature mothers at all education levels have a higher number of stunted and underweight children. Maternal education has a significant positive effect on children's growth. However, we did not find significant differences in the marginal effect of maternal education among mothers with different statures. Policies providing specialized care to children born to short stature mothers are crucial, along with emphasizing mothers' education. Moreover, a poverty elevation program is necessary as a significant fraction of childhood malnutrition is attributed to the wealth index.
- maternal stature,
- maternal weight,
- stunting,
- children growth,
- Pakistan
Citation: Nazli Javid, Christy Pu. Maternal stature, maternal education and child growth in Pakistan: a cross-sectional study[J]. AIMS Public Health, 2020, 7(2): 380-392. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2020032

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Abstract

Pakistan has a significantly higher prevalence of stunted children under five years old compared with other countries with a similar income level. Given maternal education is a modifiable factor, we analyzed whether education has a larger marginal effect on improving children's growth for shorter stature mothers. Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey of 2012–13 was analyzed, with a total of 3,883 of children under five years of age (belonged to 2,327 mothers). The results showed that the overall prevalence of stunting, underweight, wasting, and overweight in our sample was 45%, 26.2%, 9.9%, and 9.5%, respectively. Short stature mothers have a higher number of malnourished children as compared to taller mothers. Compared to tall stature mothers, short stature mothers at all education levels have a higher number of stunted and underweight children. Maternal education has a significant positive effect on children's growth. However, we did not find significant differences in the marginal effect of maternal education among mothers with different statures. Policies providing specialized care to children born to short stature mothers are crucial, along with emphasizing mothers' education. Moreover, a poverty elevation program is necessary as a significant fraction of childhood malnutrition is attributed to the wealth index.

Policy implications

Children's growth is strongly attributed to a country's economic growth, and special efforts are needed to ensure infants born to short stature mothers are able to maximize their growth. Strategies are required to endorse best fetal growth to quicken the early postnatal development among such infants. Our results showed that education helps all mothers in terms of their child's malnutrition, although it does not favor children with initial poorer physical stature. Since a significant percentage of women in Pakistan have no education, an effective strategy is required to educate women. Given 24.3% of Pakistan's population lives below the national poverty line [43], which is a major determinant of low education for females, a poverty elevation program may be necessary for women in Pakistan.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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