Childhood stunting and subsequent educational outcomes: a marginal structural model analysis from a South African longitudinal study.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To examine the association between childhood stunting and grade completion (as educational outcome) in South Africa.

Design

Longitudinal study. Data were obtained using the National Income Dynamics Study over five waves (2008 to 2017). Children were tracked at wave 1 in 2008 until wave 5 in 2017 to determine their total years of schooling. We controlled for time-variant and time-varying confounding with a marginal structural model to estimate the associations between childhood stunting and subsequent grade completion.

Setting

Nationally representative study of South African households.

Participants

A total of 2629 children aged 2 and 3 years in 2008.

Results

We observed a substantial decrease in the prevalence of stunting between wave 1 (28·2 %

SUBMITTER: Amusa LB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9991553 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature