Environmental Factors and Children's Malnutrition in Ethiopia [electronic resource] / Silva, Patricia
Material type: TextPublication details: Washington, D.C., The World Bank, 2005Description: 1 online resource (33 p.)Subject(s): Child Health Services | Children | Decision Making | Early Child and Children's Health | Environment | Environmental Economics and Policies | Family Planning | Health | Health Care | Health Monitoring and Evaluation | Health, Nutrition and Population | Immunization | Interview | Knowledge | Measurement | Medical Treatment | Mortality | Nutritional Status | Population Policies | Postnatal Care | Poverty Reduction | Pregnancy | Risk Factors | Rural Development | Rural Poverty Reduction | Stds | Strategy | Stress | Weight | Youth and GovernmentAdditional physical formats: Silva, Patricia.: Environmental Factors and Children's Malnutrition in Ethiopia.Online resources: Click here to access online Abstract: Ethiopia has one of the highest child malnutrition rates in the world. A considerable effort to monitor child malnutrition rates over the past two decades shows that, despite some improvements, approximately half of the children under five are still malnourished. Much of the burden of deaths resulting from malnutrition, estimated to be over half of childhood deaths in developing countries, can be attributed to mild or moderate malnutrition. Several biological and social economic factors contribute to malnutrition. Using the 2000 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey data, Silva examines the impact of access to basic environmental services, such as water and sanitation, on the probability children are stunted and underweight. She focuses on the impact of externalities associated with access to these services. The author finds that biological factors (such as child's age and mother's height) and social economic factors (such as household wealth and mother's education) are important determinants of a child's nutritional status. This is consistent with the findings of most studies in the literature. With respect to the environmental factors, the author finds that there are indeed significant externalities associated with access to water and sanitation at the community level. The external impacts at the community level of access to these services are an important determinant of the probability a child is underweight. The results also show that the external impact of access to water is larger for children living in rural areas. This paper-a product of the Environment Department-is part of a larger effort in the department to understand the linkages between poverty and the environment.Ethiopia has one of the highest child malnutrition rates in the world. A considerable effort to monitor child malnutrition rates over the past two decades shows that, despite some improvements, approximately half of the children under five are still malnourished. Much of the burden of deaths resulting from malnutrition, estimated to be over half of childhood deaths in developing countries, can be attributed to mild or moderate malnutrition. Several biological and social economic factors contribute to malnutrition. Using the 2000 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey data, Silva examines the impact of access to basic environmental services, such as water and sanitation, on the probability children are stunted and underweight. She focuses on the impact of externalities associated with access to these services. The author finds that biological factors (such as child's age and mother's height) and social economic factors (such as household wealth and mother's education) are important determinants of a child's nutritional status. This is consistent with the findings of most studies in the literature. With respect to the environmental factors, the author finds that there are indeed significant externalities associated with access to water and sanitation at the community level. The external impacts at the community level of access to these services are an important determinant of the probability a child is underweight. The results also show that the external impact of access to water is larger for children living in rural areas. This paper-a product of the Environment Department-is part of a larger effort in the department to understand the linkages between poverty and the environment.
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