Economic inequality and child stunting in Bangladesh and Kenya: an investigation of six hypotheses.
Consistent with the increasing focus on issues of equity in developing countries, I extend the literature analyzing the relationship between economic inequality and individual health to the developing world. Using survey data from Bangladesh and Kenya with economic status measured by a wealth index and with three different geographic definitions of community, I analyze six competing hypotheses for how economic inequality may be related to stunting among children younger than 5 years old. I find little support for the predominant hypothesis that economic inequality as measured by a Gini index is an important predictor of individual health. Instead, I find that the difference between a household's wealth and the mean household wealth in the community is the measure of economic inequality that is most closely related to stunting in these countries. In particular, a 1 standard deviation increase in household wealth relative to the community mean is associated with a 30–32 percent decrease in the odds of stunting in Bangladesh and a 16–21 percent decrease in the odds of stunting in Kenya.
University of Illinois at Springfield.
Gary W
GW
Reinbold
D001459:Bangladesh / Q000208:ethnology; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology; D002669:Child Welfare / Q000191:economics / Q000208:ethnology / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003710:Demography / Q000191:economics / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D003906:Developing Countries / Q000191:economics / Q000266:history; D004467:Economics / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D005191:Family Characteristics / Q000208:ethnology / Q000266:history; D005192:Family Health / Q000191:economics / Q000208:ethnology / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006291:Health Policy / Q000191:economics / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000266:history; D007630:Kenya / Q000208:ethnology; D011157:Population Dynamics / Q000266:history; D012923:Social Class / Q000266:history