Living arrangements and nutritional status of under-five children in Sub-Saharan Africa
Population studies
31
Issue: 1
(12 - 2017)
Despite efforts aimed at improving the nutritional status of children under-five years, only a slow
progress has been made in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Using data from the latest Demographic and
Health Surveys of 17 countries in SSA, we illuminate the association between living arrangement and
the nutritional status of 144,765 children under five years. Results showed that living with only the
father compared to both parents was associated with a higher risk of malnutrition in SSA [OR:1.18,
Cl:1.03-1.30] while not living with both parents was associated with a higher risk of malnutrition in
West Africa [OR:1.25, Cl:1.02-1.54]. Lower risk of malnutrition was observed among children residing
in households headed by their mother compared to those headed by their father in West Africa
[OR:0.76, Cl:0.66-0.87] and SSA [OR:0.83, Cl:0.77-0.90]. These results suggest that with whom and
where children live as well as biological relationships are vital in improving children’s nutritional status in
SSA.
Keywords: living arrangements, nutritional status, malnutrition, sub-Saharan Africa, under-fives
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