A matching decomposition of the rural-urban difference in malnutrition in Malawi

Mussa, Richard (2011): A matching decomposition of the rural-urban difference in malnutrition in Malawi. Published in: Health Economics Review , Vol. 4, No. 11 (3 September 2014)

Abstract

This paper applies a nonparametric matching method to decompose the rural-urban malnutrition gap in Malawi. The results show that 90 per cent and 89 per cent of the stunting and underweight gaps respectively would be eliminated if there were no urban children with combinations of characteristics which positively influence child nutrition that remain entirely unmatched by rural children. Further to that, 4 per cent and 6 per cent of the stunting and underweight gaps respectively would disappear if there were no rural children with combinations of characteristics which negatively affect child nutrition that remain entirely unmatched by urban children.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Matching; malnutrition; Malawi
• Subjects: I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I1 - Health > I12 - Health Behavior

References

Alderman, H., Behrman, J., Lavy, V., and Menon, R. (2001) Child health and school enrollment: a longitudinal analysis, Journal of Human Resources, 36, pp. 185-205.

Alderman, H., J, Hoddinott, and Kinsey, J. (2006) Long term consequences of early childhood malnutrition. Oxford Economic Papers, 58, pp. 450-474.

Blinder, A. (1973) Wage Discrimination: Reduced Form and Structural Estimates, The Journal of Human Resources, 8, pp. 436-55.

Case, A., and Paxson, C. (2006) Children’s health and social mobility, Opportunity in America 16 (2), pp. 151-173.

Djurdjevic, D., and Radyakin, S. (2007) Decomposition of the Gender Wage Gap Using Matching: An Application for Switzerland, Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics, 143 (4), pp. 365-396.

Garrett, J., and Ruel, M.T. (1999) Are determinants of rural and urban food security and nutritional status different? Some insights from Mozambique, World Development, 27(11), pp. 1955-1975.

Glewwe, P. and Jacoby, H. (1995) An economic analysis of delayed primary school enrollment and childhood malnutrition in a low income country: The role of early childhood nutrition, Review of Economics and Statistics, 77, pp.156-69.

Glewwe, P., Jacoby, H., and King, E. (2001) Early childhood nutrition and academic achievement: a longitudinal analysis, Journal of Public Economics, 81, pp.345-68.

Hatkar, P., and Bhide, A. (1999) Perinatal outcome of twins in relation to chorionicity, Journal of Postgraduate Medicine, 45, 33-37.

Linnemayr , S., H. Alderman, and Ka, A. (2008) Determinants of malnutrition in Senegal: Individual, household,community variables, and their interaction, Economics and Human Biology, 6, pp. 252-263.

Nopo, H. 2008. Matching as a Tool to Decompose Wage Gaps, Review of Economics and Statistics, 90(2), pp. 290-299.

Oaxaca, R. (1973) Male-Female Wage Differentials in Urban Labor Market, International Economic Review, 14(3), pp. 693-709.

O’Donnel, O., E,. Van Doorslaer, A., Wagstaff, and Lindelow, M. (2008) Analyzing health equity using household survey data: A guide to techniques and their implementation, (Washington D.C: The World Bank).

Ruel, M.T., L., Haddad, and Garrett, J. (1999) Some Urban Facts of Life: Implications for Research and Policy, World Development, 27(11), pp. 1917-1938.

Sahn, D.E., and Stifel, D.C. (2002) Robust Comparisons of Malnutrition in Developing Countries, American Journal of Agriculture Economics, 84, pp.716-735.

Smith, L., U., Ramakrishnan,, A., Ndiaye,, L., Haddad, and Matrorell, R. (2003) The Importance of Women’s Status for Child Nutrition in Developing Countries. IFPRI Research Report 131.

Smith, L., M.T., Ruel, and Ndiaye, A. (2005) Why Is Child Malnutrition Lower in Urban Than in Rural Areas? Evidence from 36 Developing Countries, World Development , 33(8), pp.1285-1305.