International Institute for Population Sciences
Deemed to be University (An Autonomous Organization of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India)

Introduction: Child Undernutrition is a serious public health concern in developing countries worldwide. In developing countries like India, girls are widely perceived to be in a disadvantaged position due to the persistence of adverse gender norms. Although India is largely patriarchal and girls are still undervalued, the nutrition scenario is complex. India has a high burden of child undernutrition, which demands extensive and in-depth research. Objective: The aim of this study is to assess gender-wise differentials in the anthropometric status of children aged 6-23 months across regions of India and examine the determinants. Methodology: The ‘Kids Recode’ file from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5, 2019-21) has been used, and the effective sample size was 57519. The outcome variable was ‘anthropometric failure’ based on the Composite Index of Anthropometric Failure (CIAF), where main explanatory variable was gender. Bivariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression have been employed. Findings: Findings reveal a significant gender differential in anthropometric failure among children, with male children (52%) exhibiting a higher prevalence of undernutrition compared to their female (47%) counterparts. This trend is consistent across various geographical regions of India. The regions with the highest gender gap are the Northern and Central regions, and the least gender gap is observed in the Eastern Region. Dietary diversity emerged as a crucial determinant of anthropometric failure. After controlling for several factors, gender remains a significant predictor of anthropometric failure. Other significant predictors of anthropometric failure include child characteristics like age, birth order, and birth weight. Maternal characteristics like mother’s age, education, BMI are also associated with anthropometric status. Overall, these findings emphasize the need to address the gender gap and dietary diversity to combat child undernutrition.