Do community factors have a differential impact on the health outcomes of boys and girls? Evidence from rural Pakistan

Abstract

In countries with large gender disparities in health status, can investments in local communities mitigate the gender bias observed in intra-household resource allocations? This paper explores the evidence for gender differences in the impact of community prices and infrastructure on child nutritional outcomes. Standardized heights and weights of rural Pakistani children are used as health indicators, while community factors include wheat prices, availability of piped water, accessibility of shops and government health clinics and the quality of the closest health facilities. The results suggest that food subsidies and programmes designed to improve the access and quality of local services may reduce the impact of intra-household gender bias on child nutrition, particularly in the long run. Specifically, by increasing the affordability of staple foods, improving the access to shops and government health centres and enhancing the quality of local care, particularly (gender-neutral) prenatal care, gender gaps in health outcomes are likely to diminish. © The Author 2006. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. All rights reserved.