Blinder–Oaxaca decomposition analysis of the urban-rural gap in child nutrition in Bangladesh

Child undernutrition is a leading cause of death among young children worldwide. In Bangladesh, severe undernutrition is prevalent among nearly 25% of the under five children. Additionally, the prevalence of child undernutrition varies significantly between urban and rural areas in the country. This widespread prevalence of undernutrition and regional disparity raises concerns among Bangladeshi policymakers because childhood undernutrition can lead to irreversible consequences. Using the latest data from Bangladesh's Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), this study examines factors contributing to the urban-rural gap in child nutrition. The Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition results suggest that nearly 78% of the observed difference in weight-for-age Z score (WAZ) between urban and rural children can be attributed to disparities in the factors determining child nutrition (endowment effect) across urban and rural households. The analysis also reveals that disparities among households in socioeconomic and maternal education play a significant role in the observed urban-rural difference in WAZ. In conclusion, this study suggests that the government should emphasize reducing socioeconomic inequalities amongst households to reduce regional disparities in child nutrition in Bangladesh.