The Role of Mother Empowerment and Macro-Economic Factors for Child Health: An Evidence from Developing Economies

Authors

  • Mariam Abbas Soharwardi The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.6000/1929-4247.2020.09.03.6

Keywords:

Child Health, DHS, Binary Logistic, BMI, Net food Imports, Secular States

Abstract

Objective: To analyzed the role of maternal empowerment and macro-economic variables in the improvement of child health in developing economies.

Methodology: Maternal empowerment has measured through five dimensions: work status, awareness, decision making, self-esteem, and self-confidence. Moreover, countries' net foods imports, countries as secular or non-secular and region are selected as macro-economic factors. On the other hand, child health has analysed through the anthropometric measure, i.e. stunting. The most recent data sets of Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) of 38 countries have been used. Data has been analyzed through the use of binary logistic regression and explore the impact of maternal empowerment and macro-economic factors on child health.

Results: The results explain the positive impact of mother empowerment in the improvement of child health. Furthermore, net food imports are positively effecting the child's health. Sub-Saharan Africa and Secular states proved to have negative impacts on child health. Most probably the more empowered mothers are more contributors and implement positive effects on their children’s health.

Conclusion: The countries which can fill their food deficiencies through food imports have the probability of improved health for the next generation.

References

UNICEF. Levels and Trends in Child Mortality Report 2018 2018 [44]. Available from: https://www.unicef.org/ publications/index_103264.html.

Chipili G, Msuya J, Pacific R, Majili S. Women Empowerment and the Nutrition Status of Children Aged Between 6-59 Months. Journal of Nutrition and Health Sciences 2018; 5(2): 208. https://doi.org/10.15744/2393-9060.5.208 DOI: https://doi.org/10.15744/2393-9060.5.208

Jamal H. Exploring the relationship between mothers Empowerment and Child Nitritional Status : An Evidence from Pakistan. Pakistan Journal of Applied Economics 2018; 28(2): 189-211.

Khan REA, Raza MA. Child malnutrition in developing economies: a case study of Bangladesh. Quality & Quantity 2014; 48(3): 1389-408. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-013-9842-4 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-013-9842-4

Khan REA, Raza MA. Determinants of malnutrition in Indian children: new evidence from IDHS through CIAF. Journal of Quality & Quantity 2016; 50(1): 299-316. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-014-0149-x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-014-0149-x

Korin MR. Theory and Fundamentals of Health Promotion for Children and Adolescents. Health Promotion for Children and Adolescents: Springer; 2016. p. 9-21. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-7711-3_2 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-7711-3_2

Lamontagne JF, Engle PL, Zeitlin MF. Maternal employment, child care, and nutritional status of 12–18-month-old children in Managua, Nicaragua. Social Science Medicine 1998; 46(3): 403-14. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0277-9536(97)00184-6

Li Y-N, Nong D-x, Wei B, Feng Q-M, Luo H-y. The impact of predisposing, enabling, and need factors in utilization of health services among rural residents in Guangxi, China. BMC Health Serv Res 2016; 16(1): 592. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-016-1825-4 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-016-1825-4

Mary S. How much does economic growth contribute to child stunting reductions? Economie 2018; 6(4): 55. https://doi.org/10.3390/economies6040055

Akinyemi, Adedini, Odimegwu. Individual v. community-level measures of women’s decision-making involvement and child survival in Nigeria. South African Journal of Child Health 2017; 11(1): 26-32. https://doi.org/10.7196/SAJCH.2017.v11i1.1148

Hasan MN, Uddin MSG. Women empowerment through health seeking behavior in Bangladesh: Evidence from a national survey. South East Asia Journal of Public Health 2016; 6(1): 40-5. https://doi.org/10.3329/seajph.v6i1.30343

Scantlan, Previdelli. Women’s empowerment and childhood malnutrition in Timor-Leste: a mixed-methods study. Oregon: Mercy Corps 2013.

Mugo N, Zwi AB, Botfield JR, Steiner C. Maternal and child health in South Sudan: priorities for the Post-2015 agenda. Sage Open 2015; 5(2): 2158244015581190. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244015581190 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244015581190

Lamontagne JF, Engle PL, Zeitlin MF. Maternal employment, child care, and nutritional status of 12–18-month-old children in Managua, Nicaragua. Social Science Medicine 1998; 46(3): 403-14. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0277-9536(97)00184-6 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0277-9536(97)00184-6

Abbi R, Christian P, Gujral S, Gopaldas T. The impact of maternal work status on the nutrition and health status of children. Food Nutrition Bulletin 1991; 13(1): 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1177/156482659101300409 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/156482659101300128

Ukwuani, Suchindran. Implications of women's work for child nutritional status in sub-Saharan Africa: a case study of Nigeria. Social Sciencem Medicine 2003; 56(10): 2109-21. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0277-9536(02)00205-8 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0277-9536(02)00205-8

Morrill MS. The effects of maternal employment on the health of school-age children. Journal of Health Economics 2011; 30(2): 240-57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhealeco.2011.01.001 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhealeco.2011.01.001

Kabeer N. Resources, agency, achievements: Reflections on the measurement of women's empowerment. Dev Change 1999; 30(3): 435-64. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-7660.00125 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-7660.00125

Carlson GJ, Kordas K, Murray‐Kolb LE. Associations between women's autonomy and child nutritional status: a review of the literature. Maternal and child nutrition 2015; 11(4): 452-82. https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.12113 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.12113

Kishor S, Gupta K. Women's empowerment in India and its states: evidence from the NFHS. Economic and Political Weekly 2004: 694-712.

Mason KO, Smith HL. Women’s empowerment and social context: Results from five Asian countries. Gender and Development Group, World Bank, Washington, DC 2003.

Alkire S. Subjective quantitative studies of human agency. Social Indicators Research 2005; 74(1): 217-60. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-005-6525-0 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-005-6525-0

Malhotra A, Schuler SR. Women’s empowerment as a variable in international development. Measuring empowerment: Cross-disciplinary perspectives 2005; 1(1): 71-88. https://doi.org/10.1037/e597202012-004 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/e597202012-004

Ibrahim A, Tripathi S, Kumar A. The effect of women’s empowerment on child health status: study on two developing nations. International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications 2015; 5(4): 1-8.

Hasan MN, Uddin MSG. Women empowerment through health seeking behavior in Bangladesh: Evidence from a national survey. J South East Asia Journal of Public Health 2016; 6(1): 40-5. https://doi.org/10.3329/seajph.v6i1.30343 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3329/seajph.v6i1.30343

Jamal H. Exploring the relationship between mother’s empowerment and child nutritional status: An Evidence from Pakistan. Pakistan Journal of Applied Economics 2018; 28(2): 189-211.

Abekah-Nkrumah G. Women's Empowerment and Household Health in Sub-Saharan Africa: Examining the Importance of Social Norms: The University of Manchester (United Kingdom); 2013.

Acharya DR, Bell JS, Simkhada P, van Teijlingen ER, Regmi PR. Women's autonomy in household decision-making: a demographic study in Nepal. Reproductive Health 2010; 7(1): 15. https://doi.org/10.1186/1742-4755-7-15 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1742-4755-7-15

Ahmad F, Sultan M, editors. Women's empowerment and mobility in Pakistan: Result from a National Survey. Fifth Annual Research conference; 2004.

Ahmed S, Creanga AA, Gillespie DG, Tsui AO. Economic status, education and empowerment: implications for maternal health service utilization in developing countries. PloS one 2010; 5(6): e11190. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0011190 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0011190

Akter S, Rutsaert P, Luis J, Htwe NM, San SS, Raharjo B, et al. Women’s empowerment and gender equity in agriculture: A different perspective from Southeast Asia. Food Policy 2017; 69: 270-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2017.05.003 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2017.05.003

Ahsan MN, Maharaj R. Parental human capital and child health at birth in India. Economics Human Biology 2018; 30: 130-49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ehb.2018.06.006 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ehb.2018.06.006

Akinyemi J, Adedini S, Odimegwu C. Individual v. community-level measures of women’s decision-making involvement and child survival in Nigeria. J South African Journal of Child Health 2017; 11(1): 26-32. https://doi.org/10.7196/SAJCH.2017.v11i1.1148 DOI: https://doi.org/10.7196/SAJCH.2017.v11i1.1148

Ruel MT, Alderman H, Maternal, Group CNS. Nutrition-sensitive interventions and programmes: how can they help to accelerate progress in improving maternal and child nutrition? The lance 2013; 382(9891): 536-51. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(13)60843-0 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(13)60843-0

Mary S. How much does economic growth contribute to child stunting reductions? J Economies 2018; 6(4): 55. https://doi.org/10.3390/economies6040055 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/economies6040055

Vollmer S, Harttgen K, Subramanyam MA, Finlay J, Klasen S, Subramanian S. Association between economic growth and early childhood undernutrition: evidence from 121 Demographic and Health Surveys from 36 low-income and middle-income countries. The lancet Global Health 2014; 2(4): e225-e34. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(14)70025-7 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(14)70025-7

Torlesse H, Kiess L, Bloem MW. Association of household rice expenditure with child nutritional status indicates a role for macroeconomic food policy in combating malnutrition. The Journal of Nutrition 2003; 133(5): 1320-5. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/133.5.1320 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/133.5.1320

Brinkman H-J, De Pee S, Sanogo I, Subran L, Bloem MW. High Food Prices and the Global Financial Crisis ave reduced access to Nutritious Food and worsened nutritional status and health. The Journal of nutrition 2009; 140(1): 153S-61S. https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.109.110767 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.109.110767

Christian P. Impact of the economic crisis and increase in food prices on child mortality: exploring nutritional pathways. The Journal of Nutrition 2009; 140(1): 177S-81S. https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.109.111708 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.109.111708

Webb P. Medium-to long-run implications of high food prices for global nutrition. The Journal of Nutrition 2009; 140(1): 143S-7S. https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.109.110536 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.109.110536

Shatenstein B, Ghadirian P. Influences on diet, health behaviours and their outcome in select ethnocultural and religious groups. Nutrition 1998; 14(2): 223-30. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0899-9007(97)00425-5 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0899-9007(97)00425-5

Trepanowski JF, Bloomer R. The impact of religious fasting on human health. Nutrition Journal 2010; 9(1): 57. https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2891-9-57 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2891-9-57

Jamal H. Explaining Spousal Physical Violence through Dimensions of Women Empowerment: Evidence from Pakistan 2017.

Huicho L, Segura ER, Huayanay-Espinoza CA, de Guzman JN, Restrepo-Méndez MC, Tam Y, et al. Child health and nutrition in Peru within an antipoverty political agenda: a Countdown to 2015 country case study. The Lancet Global Health 2016; 4(6): e414-e26. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(16)00085-1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(16)00085-1

Shi T, McAllister DA, O'Brien KL, Simoes EA, Madhi SA, Gessner BD, et al. Global, regional, and national disease burden estimates of acute lower respiratory infections due to respiratory syncytial virus in young children in 2015: a systematic review and modelling study. The Lancet 2017; 390(10098): 946-58. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)30938-8 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)30938-8

Becker GS. A Theory of the Allocation of Time. The Economic Journal 1965: 493-517. https://doi.org/10.2307/2228949 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/2228949

Becker S, Fonseca-Becker F, Schenck-Yglesias C. Husbands' and wives' reports of women's decision-making power in Western Guatemala and their effects on preventive health behaviours. Soc Sci Med 2006; 62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2005.10.006 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2005.10.006

Grossman M. On the concept of health capital and the demand for health. Journal of Political Economy 1972; 80(2): 223-55. https://doi.org/10.1086/259880 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/259880

Willis RJ. A new approach to the economic theory of fertility behavior. Journal of Political Economy 1973; 81(2, Part 2): S14-S64. https://doi.org/10.1086/260152 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/260152

Garcia M, Alderman H, Sathar ZA. Patterns and determinants of malnutrition in children in Pakistan: impact of community health [with comments]. The Pakistan Development Review 1989; 28(4): 891-902.

Cummins RO, Chamberlain DA, Abramson N, Allen M, Baskett P, Becker L, et al. Recommended guidelines for uniform reporting of data from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: the Utstein Style. A statement for health professionals from a task force of the American Heart Association, the European Resuscitation Council, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, and the Australian Resuscitation Council. Circulation 1991; 84(2): 960-75. https://doi.org/10.1161/01.CIR.84.2.960 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1161/01.CIR.84.2.960

Becker GS, Lewis HG. On the Interaction between the Quantity and Quality of Children. Journal of Political Economy 1973; 81(2, Part 2): S279-S88. https://doi.org/10.1086/260166 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/260166

Becker GS. A theory of social interactions. Journal of Political Economy 1974; 82(6): 1063-93. https://doi.org/10.1086/260265 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/260265

Becker GS. Altruism in the Family and Selfishness in the Market Place. Economica 1981; 48(189): 1-15. https://doi.org/10.2307/2552939 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/2552939

Measure DHS. DHS Overview 2019 [Available from: https://dhsprogram.com/What-We-Do/Survey-Types/DHS-Questionnaires.cfm#CP_JUMP_16175.

Hightower WL. Development of an index of health utilizing factor analysis. Med Care 1978: 245-55. https://doi.org/10.1097/00005650-197803000-00006 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/00005650-197803000-00006

Gupta K, Yesudian PP. Evidence of women’s empowerment in India: A study of socio-spatial disparities. Geo Journal 2006; 65(4): 365-80. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-006-7556-z DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-006-7556-z

Antony G, Rao KV. A composite index to explain variations in poverty, health, nutritional status and standard of living: Use of multivariate statistical methods. Public Health 2007; 121(8): 578-87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2006.10.018 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2006.10.018

Brajesh, Shekhar DC. Level of Women Empowerment and It’s Determinates in Selected South Asian Countries. Journal Of Humanities And Social Science (IOSR-JHSS) 2015; 20(4): 94.

Jeckoniah J, Nombo C, Mdoe N. Determinants of women empowerment in the onion value chain: a case of Simanjiro district in Tanzania. Journal of Economics and Sustainable Development 2012; 3(10): 88-99.

Ibrahim A, Pandey KK. Women’s Empowerment and Child Health Outcomes: A Comparative Study between India and Nigeria. Journal of Medical Science and Clinical Research 2014; 2(12): 3277-92.

Goode A, Mavromaras K. Family income and child health in China. China Economic Review 2014; 29: 152-65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chieco.2014.04.007 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chieco.2014.04.007

Siddhanta A, Chattopadhyay A. Role of women’s empowerment in determining child stunting in Eastern India and Bangladesh. J Social Science Spectrum 2017; 3(1): 38-51.

Newman C. Time to address gender discrimination and inequality in the health workforce. Human Resources for Health 2014; 12(1): 25. https://doi.org/10.1186/1478-4491-12-25 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1478-4491-12-25

Hill K, Upchurch DM. Gender differences in child health: evidence from the demographic and health surveys. Population Development Review 1995: 127-51. https://doi.org/10.2307/2137416 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/2137416

Mehrotra S. Child malnutrition and gender discrimination in South Asia. Economic Political Weekly 2006: 912-8.

Fikree FF, Pasha O. Role of gender in health disparity: the South Asian context. Bmj 2004; 328(7443): 823-6. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.328.7443.823 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.328.7443.823

Downloads

Published

2020-08-07

How to Cite

Soharwardi, M. A. . (2020). The Role of Mother Empowerment and Macro-Economic Factors for Child Health: An Evidence from Developing Economies . International Journal of Child Health and Nutrition, 9(3), 139–147. https://doi.org/10.6000/1929-4247.2020.09.03.6

Issue

Section

General Articles