Publication: Malnutrition and Poverty in Guatemala
Date
2003-01
ISSN
Published
2003-01
Author(s)
Abstract
The objective of this paper is to
document the extent, and distribution of child, and adult
malnutrition in Guatemala; to analyze the relationship
between selected child, maternal, household and community
characteristics, and children's nutritional status;
and, to outline the implications of the most important
findings for nutritional policy. The prevalence of chronic
malnutrition among Guatemalan children in 2000, was the
highest in Latin America, and among the highest in the
world. The data show very strong socioeconomic, and
geographic inequality. The econometric analysis reveals a
strong impact of income, and of inter-generational effects.
Education of adults in the household, and the availability
of infrastructure, are other important determinants of
children's growth attainment. Finally, even controlling
for income, and other household and community
characteristics, ethnicity remains an important determinant
of child nutritional status. The study also reveals an
increasing prevalence of excess weights, and obesity among
children and adults. Over-nutrition tends to be higher among
individuals living in urban areas, and among non-poor, and
non-indigenous households.
Citation
“Marini, Alessandra; Gragnolati, Michele. 2003. Malnutrition and Poverty in Guatemala. Policy Research Working Paper;No. 2967. © World Bank, Washington, DC. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/19189 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
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