The effects of drought and other rainfall shocks on the body mass index and height of under-five children in Senegal

Abstract Background This study examines the effects of drought and other rainfall shocks on body mass index and height-for-age-Z-score of the children aged 0–59 months in 2016 in Senegal. Methods This relationship is investigated using the 2016 Senegal Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) and the climate covariates data for each DHS cluster using a multivariate regression approach. Results The findings reveal that drought and negative rainfall shock have a statistically significant and robust impact on a child’s body mass index. Furthermore, total rainfall deviation seems to have a negative effect on the height-for-age. The effects of the drought on the poorest households seem to be of considerable magnitude; however, the richest households do not seem to get affected. Finally, these shocks seem to be different for male and female children, which imply the prevalence of gender-based discrimination in allocating resources within households. Conclusions We find that broad categorization of the effects of drought and other rainfall shocks ignores heterogeneity and coping strategies across children and households. Our results find different positive and negative impacts on health measures. On the policy front, improving access to credit, effective targeting of the nutritional intervention, income diversification, and programs that promote capacity building and support non-weather-related economic activities through increased access to credit and improved infrastructure could be emphasized.