Child Malnutrition and Mortality in Developing Countries: Evidence from a Cross-Country Analysis.

Gabriele, Alberto; Schettino, Francesco

In this article, after having identified the main clusters of food-insecure households worldwide, and summarily analyzed their livelihood profiles, we discuss the interaction and relevance of the most relevant key economic and social factors causing child malnutrition and mortality. On the basis of an essential but consistent World Bank database, covering all developing and transition countries, we also carry out a cross-country econometric analysis on relations of income and non-income factors with child malnutrition and mortality. Our main findings are threefold. First, among income factors, each country's overall level of economic development is paramount, but income distribution also plays an important role. Second, taking into account that public provision of basic services tends to increase with economic growth, each country's relative propensity to spend on basic services is significantly and negatively correlated with child malnutrition and mortality. Third, gender-related cultural factors also play a large role.

MALNUTRITION in children; MALNUTRITION; CHILD mortality; ECONOMIC development research; WOMEN in development; INCOME inequality; ECONOMICS; DEVELOPING countries

Analyses of Social Issues & Public Policy, 2008, Vol 8, Issue 1, p53

1529-7489

Academic Journal

10.1111/j.1530-2415.2008.00157.x