| सारांश: | This study explores the effect of women's involvement in BRAC's income and health development activities
on the nutritional status of their children aged 6-72 months. MUAC measurements of 1,518 children aged 6-
72 months (using TALC) were taken between April-August 1995 under the BRAC-lCDDR,B joint research
project in Matlab using a four-cell-study design . Data analysis consisted of both bivariate and multivariate
analysis, along with comparison with similar data from a baseline sun'ey done in 1992. Findings reveal that
prevalence of severe PEM has decreased significantly from 23 .2% to 14.1% among children of BRAC
member households (p<0.05) during the period between 1992 and 1995. However. among non-member
households, the prevalence remained almost unchanged (21.2%). The positive effect of women's involvement
in BRAC development activities on their child's nutritional status remained significant even after controlling
for age and sex of the child; age. year of schooling and number of living children of the mother; per capita
monthly expenditure; MCHFP area; and four study cells during regression procedure. The children, whose
mothers were participating in BRAC development activities, were 41% less likely to suffer from severe
malnutrition compared to those of non-member (p<0.05). However, gender differential in the prevalence of
severe malnutrition was very pronounced among the children of BRAC member households (p<0.05). This
may, in part. be explained by the fact that BRAC does not have gender focused component in its programme.
Programmatic implications of these findings are discussed.
|
|---|