Work

Most of Africa's Nutritionally Deprived Women and Children Are Not Found in Poor Households

Year: 2018

Type: article

Abstract: Policymakers often assume that targeting observably poor households suffices in reaching nutritionally deprived individuals. We question that assumption. Our comprehensive assessment for sub-Saharan Africa reveals that undernourished women and children are spread widely across the household wealth and consumption distributions. Roughly three-quarters of underweight women and undernourished children are not found in the poorest 20% of households, and around half are not found in the poorest 40%. Countries with higher undernutrition tend to have higher shares of undernourished individuals in nonpoor households. Intrahousehold inequality accounts in part for our results, but other factors appear to be important, including common health risks.

Source: The Review of Economics and Statistics

DOI: 10.1162/rest_a_00800

Authors: Caitlin Brown, Martin Ravallion, Dominique van de Walle

Institutions: Central European University, Georgetown University, World Bank

Language: English

Topic: Child Nutrition and Water Access

Subfield: Nutrition and Dietetics

Field: Nursing

Domain: Health Sciences

SDGs: No poverty, Reduced inequalities, Zero hunger, Good health and well-being, Gender equality

Open Access status: bronze

OpenAlex ID: W2604939963