Intrahousehold nutritional inequities in rural Bangladesh

Abstract

I. Introduction Despite substantial improvements in nutrition and health over the past few decades, high levels of undernourishment and malnourishment persist in Bangladesh (Headey et al. 2015). Inequities in household consumption are particularly important to policymakers and researchers. Although undernourishment is a characteristic of the individual, much of its measurement has centered on national-level and, more recently, household-level statistics (FAO 2013; Rosen et al. 2014). The absence of individual-level food consumption data necessitates the identification of undernourished and food-insecure populations using aggregate data (i.e., household or national). These types of assessments have difficulty in precisely estimating how total available calories are distributed across individuals and subsequently can provide misleading assessments of undernourishment (Barrett 2010). In particular, assessments based on household-level consumption data make strict assumptions about the division of calories within a household such that all members share the same food security classification. Such assumptions can make it difficult to effectively target aid programs at populations that most need assistance. In this article, we use data from the Bangladesh Integrated Household Survey (BIHS) to explore the intrahousehold allocation of food. First, we examine potential inequities in consumption between household members. Second, we examine how inequities in consumption are related to household characteristics, such as women’s empowerment and economic well-being.