A Sociodemographic Assessment of Infant Malnutrition in Rural Area, Bangladesh: Logistic Regression Approach

Abstract : This study investigates the association between socio-demographic factors and infant child (0-1 year) malnutrition defined by underweight, stunting and wasting, in rural areas, Bangladesh. Survey data, Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2019 executed by UNICEF and Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), is used in the study. The percentage of undernutrition is 17.08% for underweight out of 3571 sample, 18% for stunted out of 3504 sample, 9.8% for wasted out of 3470 sample with omitting missing value. Statistical methods, ANOVA, chi-square test and sampling weighted logistic regression model, are used to figure out impact of individual socio-demographic factors on child malnutrition. The variables gender, receiving prenatal care, delivery place, parents education, wealth index, child weight at birth, geographical division, and women age group at birth, are significantly associated with malnourished children (P-value: 1%, 5% or 10%). Odds of being malnutrition is lower among female children, educated parents and rich family. Prevalence of child underweight is higher among mother physical disability, childbirth weight. The undernutrition, stunting and wasting, are highly likely among the children of disabled mother. The presence of underweight and wasting is higher in Sylhet Division, lower in Mymenshingh Division respectively, while the prevalence of stunting is higher in Mymenshingh, Rajshahi, Rangpur and Sylhhet Division.