Trends in underweight, stunting, and wasting prevalence and inequality among children under three in Indian states, 1993-2016

• Child undernutrition remains high in India with far-reaching consequences for child health and development. Anthropometry reflects undernutrition. We examined the state-level trends in underweight, stunting, and wasting prevalence and inequality by living standards using four rounds of the National Family Health Surveys in 26 states in India, conducted in 1992-1993, 1998-1999, 2005-2006, and 2015-2016. The average annual reduction (AAR) for underweight ranged from 0.04 percentage points (pp) (95% CI - 0.12, 0.20) in Haryana to 1.05 pp (95% CI 0.88, 1.22) in West Bengal for underweight; 0.35 pp (95% CI 0.11, 0.59) in Manipur to 1.47 (95% CI 1.19, 1.75) in Himachal Pradesh for stunting; and - 0.65 pp (95% CI - 0.77, - 0.52) in Haryana to 0.36 pp (95% CI 0.22, 0.51) in Bihar & Jharkhand for wasting. We find that change in the pp difference between children with the poorest and richest household living standards varied by states: statistically significant decline (increase) was observed in 5 (3) states for underweight, 5 (4) states for stunting, and 2 (1) states for wasting. Prevalence of poor anthropometric outcomes as well as disparities by states and living standards remain a problem in India.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Folkhälsovetenskap, global hälsa, socialmedicin och epidemiologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

undernutrition

india

living standards

Publication and Content Type

art (subject category)

ref (subject category)