| Economic inequality and undernutrition in women:
Multilevel analysis of individual, household, and community levels in Cambodia |
| Authors: |
Rathavuth Hong and Rathmony Hong |
| Source: |
Food and Nutrition Bulletin, vol. 28, no. 1 © 2007, |
| Topic(s): |
Adult health
Inequality
Nutrition
|
| Country: |
Asia
Cambodia
|
| Published: |
AUG 2007 |
| Abstract: |
Abstract
Background. Many people in developing countries are
still struggling to emerge from the realm of extreme
poverty, where economic improvements tend to benefit
a small, affluent group of the population and cause
growing inequality in health and nutrition that affects
the most vulnerable groups of the population, including
women and children.
Objective. To examine how household and community
economic inequality affects nutritional status in women
using information on 6,922 nonpregnant women aged 15
to 49 years included in the 2000 Cambodia Demographic
and Health Survey.
Methods. Nutritional status is defined with the use
of the body-mass index (BMI). BMI less than 18.5
kg/m2 is defined as undernourishment. The household
wealth index was calculated from household ownership
of durable assets and household characteristics. Community
wealth is an average household wealth index
at the community level. Household and community
economic inequalities were measured by dividing the
wealth index into quintiles. The effects of household
and community economic inequality were estimated by
multilevel analysis.
Results. Independently of community economic status
and other risk factors, women in the poorest 20% of
households are more likely to be undernourished than
women in the richest 20% of households (RR = 1.63;
p = .008). The results also show variation among communities
in the nutritional status of women. Age, occupation,
and access to safe sources of drinking water are
significantly associated with women’s nutritional status.
Conclusions. Improving household income and creating
employment opportunities for women, in particular
poor women, may be a key to improving the nutritional
status of women in Cambodia.
Key words: Cambodia, community level, inequality,
undernourished women |
|