Socioeconomic determinants of child malnutrition: Evidence from Ethiopia

Abstract In this research, I examined the role of socioeconomic variations in the prevalence of stunting and underweight among children in Ethiopia. The study aimed to identify key health factors contributing to these disparities in child malnutrition by utilizing concentration indices, concentration curves, and regression-based decomposition analysis. Despite a notable decline in the average rates of stunting and underweight prevalence, the relative and absolute gaps between different demographic and socioeconomic groups have widened in Ethiopia. The empirical analysis revealed that higher levels of maternal education and household wealth significantly benefited children from better socioeconomic backgrounds, making them less likely to experience malnutrition. The disparity in socioeconomic status is the primary driver of inequalities in child malnutrition. The findings suggest that to reduce these disparities, national health policies should focus on promoting maternal literacy and targeting interventions for underprivileged groups.