Socioeconomic inequalities in underweight children: a cross-sectional analysis of trends in West Africa over two decades.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To study trends in socioeconomic inequalities in underweight children in West Africa, and specifically to analyse the concentration index of underweight inequalities and measure inequalities in the risk of being malnourished by household wealth index.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

The study used 50 Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys conducted between 1999 and 2020 across 14 countries by the DHS and UNICEF.

Participants

The study included 481 349 children under the age of 5 years.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

The analysis used three variables: weight-for-age index, household wealth index and household residence. The inequality concentration index for underweight children and the relative

SUBMITTER: Adamou H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10884214 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature