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Socio-economic Differences in Heights of Adult Indian Women
Authors: Brinda Viswanathan, Viney Sharma
Source: Journal of Developing Societies, Vol. 25, No. 4, 421-455 (2009)
Topic(s): Nutrition
Women's height
Country: Asia
  India
Published: OCT 2009
Abstract: This study provides additional insights into the nature of variations in heights of adult Indian women based on the demographic and health survey data for the year 2005–06. Though contiguous regions show similar mean heights, the gap between geographic regions reduce once socio-economic differences are accounted for. While teenage child birth, wealth differences and caste affiliations are some of the key variables that explain the gaps in mean heights, better educational attainment reduces these gaps and has also contributed to temporal gains in heights. Key Words: nutritional status • heights • India • women • socio-economic status • regional variation