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The Impact Of Household Level Determinants Of Child Health And Nutrition: Cross-Country Evidence From West Africa

Author

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  • Penders, Christopher L.
  • Staatz, John M.
Abstract
Poor child health and nutrition persist throughout West Africa. This research analyzes the impact of key economic variables, including income, education and background characteristics, on child health and nutrition across nine different countries. The results are interpreted in the context of differing levels of economic development among these nations. The findings do not show wealth and parental education to be robust across the sample, but maternal background characteristics have a positive, statistically significant and highly consistent effect across all the countries. The importance of mothers' height does not simply represent a genetic influence, but can be interpreted to signify that women who have had a healthier upbringing and hence are taller, have healthier children, ceteris paribus. This finding is consistent with long-run observations that increases in health (and height) coincide with economic development.

Suggested Citation

  • Penders, Christopher L. & Staatz, John M., 2001. "The Impact Of Household Level Determinants Of Child Health And Nutrition: Cross-Country Evidence From West Africa," Staff Paper Series 11579, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:midasp:11579
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.11579
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Mburu, John G. & Okello, Julius Juma, 2008. "The Prevalence of Under-Nourished Child Obese Mother Phenomenon in Rural Areas: Evidence from Central Province of Kenya," 2007 Second International Conference, August 20-22, 2007, Accra, Ghana 52160, African Association of Agricultural Economists (AAAE).
    2. Amy Ickowitz, 2012. "Wealthiest Is Not Always Healthiest: What Explains Differences in Child Mortality in West Africa?," Journal of African Economies, Centre for the Study of African Economies, vol. 21(2), pages 192-227, March.

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