title: Drivers of nutritional change in four South Asian countries: a dynamic observational analysis.
abstract: This paper quantifies the factors explaining long-term improvements in child height for age z-scores in Bangladesh (1996/1997-2011), India (1992/1993-2005/2006), Nepal (1997-2011) and Pakistan (1991-2013). We apply the same statistical techniques to data from a common data source from which we have extracted a set of common explanatory variables that capture 'nutrition-sensitive' factors. Three are particularly important in explaining height for age z-score changes over these timeframes: improvements in material well-being; increases in female education; and improvements in sanitation. These factors have comparable associations across all four countries.
authors.affiliation: International Food Policy Research Institute, Poverty, Health and Nutrition Division, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.
authors.forename: Derek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Headey
authors.affiliation: Cornell University, Nutritional Sciences, Ithaca, New York, USA.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hoddinott
authors.affiliation: Cornell University, Applied Economics and Management, Ithaca, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Seollee
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D001459:Bangladesh / Q000453:epidemiology; D001827:Body Height; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009390:Nepal / Q000453:epidemiology; D009752:Nutritional Status; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D012499:Sanitation
keywords: chronic malnutrition; economics constraints; infant and child nutrition; international child health nutrition; low income countries; socioeconomic factors