2134/20360
Emily Rousham
Emily
Rousham
Ikhtiar U. Khandakar
Ikhtiar U.
Khandakar
Reducing health inequalities among girls and adolescent women living in poverty: the success of Bangladesh
Loughborough University
2016
Undernutrition
Child health
Gender
Socio - economic status
Medical and Health Sciences not elsewhere classified
2016-02-19 14:50:04
Journal contribution
https://repository.lboro.ac.uk/articles/journal_contribution/Reducing_health_inequalities_among_girls_and_adolescent_women_living_in_poverty_the_success_of_Bangladesh/9617282
Background: Bangladesh has made dramatic improvements in the health of girls and
women in the last 20 years. This paper examines whether gender inequalities in
health are evident among older children and adolescents among extremely poor households, and identifies future health challenges for improving the health of girls and women.
Method: Gender inequalities in health were examined using data from a school health
survey of school children and adolescents (n=900, 6.5-13.5 years). Anthropometric
status; household possessions and number of siblings were measured. Undernutrition
was assessed as stunting (height-for-age z-score) and thinness (BMI-for-age z-score).
Results: The prevalence of undernutrition was high (35.3% stunting; 42.4% thinness), but there were no significant differences
according to gender or socio-economic indicators (via possession score). Girls had more younger siblings (p<0.05), while boys had more older siblings (p<0.05).
Conclusions: These findings accord with the national picture of successful reductions in gender inequalities in health through low cost, community-based health programmes and education policies targeting the poorest sectors. The prevalence of undernutrition, however, remains high. Reproductive behaviours may still be influenced by poverty and the gender of existing offspring. Future challenges lie in reducing the adverse health consequences to women and their infants associated with early age at marriage and childbirth.