DETERMINANTS OF CHILD NUTRITION IN MALAWI |
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Authors: | Ephraim W Chirwa Harold Pe Ngalawa |
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Institution: | 1. Associate Professor of Economics, Department of Economics, University of Malawi, Chancellor College, P.O. Box 280, Zomba, MALAWI. Email: echirwa@yahoo.com;2. PhD Candidate, School of Economics, University of Cape Town, Private Bag, Rondebosch, 7701. Email: hngalawa@yahoo.co.uk/NGLHAR002@uct.ac.za |
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Abstract: | This paper investigates factors that determine child malnutrition in Malawi. Measuring child nutrition using anthropometric measures, the study finds that child malnutrition worsens with age until a certain critical age beyond which it starts to improve and that boys are more at risk than girls. We also find evidence that child malnutrition is more prevalent in children that fall sick regularly and in households that draw water from a well, protected or not. In addition, children who come from households that have mother/female household heads who are economically empowered, in terms of being in salaried employment or working in a family business, tend to be better nourished. |
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Keywords: | I120 Child malnutrition stunting underweight wasting malawi |
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