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Child Nutritional Status in Metropolitan Cities of India: Does Maternal Employment Matter?
Authors: Saumya Rastogi, and Laxmi Kant Dwivedi
Source: Social Change, 44(3):355-370; doi: 10.1177/0049085714536799
Topic(s): Child health
Employment
Nutrition
Country: Asia
  India
Published: SEP 2014
Abstract: Metropolitan cities in India are commonly faced with poverty, rapid urbanisation and in-migration that take a toll on the standard of living of households, forcing women out of their houses to seek employment. As a result, women do not find adequate time for child feeding and rearing practices making the health and nutritional status of their children precarious. Using 2005–06 National Family Health Survey (NFHS) data on eight metropolitan cities, this study examines the impact of maternal employment on the nutritional status of children born in poorer and richer sections of the cities. Using multiple logistic regression analysis, results show that maternal employment in service sector among the poorer section of cities and employment in agriculture/labour sector among the richer section are associated with higher risk of children being underweight. The research concludes that maternal employment, living in slums, low maternal education significantly affect the nutritional status of children in the richer section of the cities whereas these factors do not affect the nutrition of children in poorer section.