Determinants of Child Health Status--A Study in Rural Karnataka (India)

Abstract

A variety of physiological and biological interactions and their synergistic effects determine growth status as well as susceptibility to illness. Studies on the interactive relationship between nutritional status and morbidity have shown the synergistic effect of the 2 variables but there have been few studies which have investigated the multivariate relationship between growth status and the predictor variables and similarly between morbidity and other variables. This study was designed to identify variables in the family and child subsystem which determine child health status in 2 selected rural areas of Karnataka India. The multivariate approach stresses the importance of controlling for age as 0-12 and 13-36 months. The results show that some of the variables which explain the differences in weight for age are the direct influence of socioeconomic status and operate indirectly through morbidity and per capita expenditure on food. Other variables explaining the weight for age of the child are calorie intake birth order and family size. On the other hand the variables which explained the weight for age of children in the age group 0-12 months were calorie intake and morbidity at 1% significant levels and mothers age and sibling mortality at 5% significant levels. A systems view of the problem recognizes the significance of variables and therefore the need for an integrated approach to the management of child health services. (authors modified)