The Impact of Migration on Nutritional Status of Under-Five Children in Bangladesh: A Logistic Regression Analysis

The study reveals that longer migration duration of household members is associated with reduced stunting prevalence among under-five children in Bangladesh, a country characterized by higher rates of child malnutrition, by using data from Bangladesh Integrated Household Survey (BIHS) 2015 survey. A logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the factors influencing child nutritional status. Child age, dietary diversity, distance from healthcare facilities, proximity to markets and towns, age of household head and household size were found significant as the key determinants of stunting. The study describes that remittances contribute to child health outcomes with improvement of purchasing power, dietary access and healthcare utilization. These findings align with global evidence that migration can improve child nutritional outcomes. However, the analysis further emphasizes the context-dependent nature of migration, as parental absence has been linked to poorer child health status in some countries. Policy implications include utilizing remittances for household nutrition, facilitating dietary diversity, strengthening health services and access to market, and furthermore integrating migration into national nutritional strategies.