Empirical Analysis of Socio-economic Factors Effecting Nutritional Status of Children (1-5) of Age

Effect of Poverty and Malnutrition on Health

Poverty and malnourishment results on the health of children falls harder on girls than boys. Boys more often get special feeding then those of girls under age of five (Wonjohi, 2012). Health complications related with pregnancy, for young female, apparently contain damaging effects. The obvious factors, however are somewhat unknown and indirect (Khattakh & Gul, 2009).

Impact of Early Marriage on Health of Mother

Another factor creating harsh conditions for the female gender is early marriage. Frequent pregnancies, casual domestic responsibilities, and sustain breast-feeding, tends on to be the cause or morbid conditions for a woman and their newborn. The girls who married in young ages were found to have repetitive pregnancies, which is also correlated with poor socioeconomic and poor education conditions of mother. (Zafar, 1996).

Malnutrition in Children and its Causes

Fundamental causes of malnutrition are resources scarcity and governance of human superstructure organizations that are economic, political and ideological organizations. The cultural, religious, traditional belief also contributes its levels in how children are fed and cared for, all these factors together or separately affect the nutritional status of children (UNICAP, 2007).

The patriarchal authoritative cultural values provide more resources to men that leads to women having less access to productive resources such as access to acknowledgment, upgraded technologies, seed and fertilizer. The women face unfair distribution of food with in household because of less power on household and community credibility. Cultural norms obliged women’s rights, while rearing children and household farm duties are imposed on mothers only, their time and movement, resulting poor care of themselves and their kids consequently appears in poor nutritional status.