| Household air pollution and caste-ethnic differences in undernutrition among children in Nepal |
| Authors: |
Lamichhane DK, Leem JH, and Kim HC |
| Source: |
Archives of Environmental & Occupational Health, 13: 1-10; DOI: 10.1080/19338244.2019.1699771 |
| Topic(s): |
Child health
Ethnicity
Household solid fuel use
Nutrition
Pollution
|
| Country: |
Asia
Nepal
|
| Published: |
DEC 2019 |
| Abstract: |
This study investigated whether the association between household air pollution (HAP) and nutritional status (stunting, underweight, or wasting) among children differ by caste/ethnicity. Child anthropometry data for 9,914 children aged 0-59?months were analyzed linearly as Z scores and as dichotomous categories. Exposure to HAP was significantly associated with a decrease in child height-for-age and child weight-for-age, as well as with stunting and underweight. Children in low caste (Dalits) had higher prevalence of stunting (odds ratio [OR]?=?1.21; 95% confidence intervals [CI]?=?1.01, 1.44), underweight (OR = 1.47; 95% CI = 1.24, 1.75), and wasting (OR = 1.53; 95% CI = 1.21, 1.92) than those children in upper caste group. This association was modestly attenuated with adjustment for HAP. Exposure to HAP partly explained the caste-ethnic difference in undernutrition among children in Nepal. |
| Web: |
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19338244.2019.1699771 |
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