The Impact of Climate Change and Socioeconomic Factors on Child Undernutrition in Karnali Nepal.

The nutritional status of children in South Asian regions is already under threat from rising global temperatures and more unpredictable rainfall and humidity patterns. Child undernutrition based on mid-upper arm circumference has been a major concern for Nepal as it is the highest among children in the world. The objective of our study is to determine the climate change and socioeconomic determinants of undernutrition in children under 3 years. This study explored the sample of 538 children ranging in age from 3 to <36 months using a binary logistic regression model to determine the climate change and socioeconomic factors associated with child undernutrition. Our study estimated approximately 24% of children are undernourished. Our analysis in the adjusted multivariable logistic regression model found that children born between 65% and 75% humidity were 3.48 times more likely to be undernutrition as compared to the humidity level at <65% (adjusted odds ratio = 3.48; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.08-11.18). The bivariate analysis found that children born at a temperature higher than 30°C were four times more likely to suffer from undernutrition (odds ratio = 4.00; 95% CI: 1.19-13.44). The study revealed that children who had low childbirth weight were eight times more at risk of being undernutrition. Our study revealed that temperature, precipitation, climate hazard, occupation of the mother, and health facility distance were common climate change and socioeconomic risk factors of child undernutrition in Nepal.