The Role of Social Factors in Childhood Stunting in Pakistan with Special Focus on Parental Aspects

Abstract

Stunting growth among children is one of the imperative health concerns for the global world. The paper measured the relationship of maternal, paternal, and communal factors with children’s stunting growth in Pakistan. The study used the Pakistan Demographic Health Survey (PDHS) and analyzed with the help of statistical packages for social sciences (SPSS Version-21). The unit of analysis was stunted children, and the sample size was (n=7448). The univariate and bivariate statistical analyses were employed by using the Chi-square test. The results of the study found that maternal, paternal, and communal factors have an association with children’s stunting growth. For example, specifically, child stunting growth is related to birth interval, low birth weight, mother education, incomplete immunization status, and poor wealth index. The study concluded that chances of child stunting increased with the help of maternal, paternal, and communal factors. The incomplete immunization status is associated with children’s stunting growth. The study recommended that the issues of birth interval, low birth weight, mother education, incomplete immunization, and poor wealth index should be the focus of the policymakers to control children’s stunting growth.