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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
medicine
Only children of the head of household benefit from increased household food diversity in Northern Ghana
Journal of Nutrition, Volume 138, No. 11, Year 2008
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Description
In many societies, foods are preferentially channeled to certain members of the household. We studied whether being the child of a powerful household member (head of household or first wife in a polygynous family) was associated with greater child stature in Northern Ghana and how this association varied with differences in household food availability. We used a sample of 464 children between 9 and 36 mo of age in extended households in rural Northern Ghana. Child stature was regressed on household food availability, the status of the child's father (head of household or other male), the status of the child's mother (marital order in a polygynous marriage), and the interaction terms between household food availability and parental status. The models were controlled for child age, sex, maternal height, parity, household size, and potential intra-community clustering. Household dietary diversity was associated with child stature (P < 0.05), but this association was limited to children of the head of household. For children of other males, there was no quantifiable association between household dietary diversity and child stature. Children of monogamous mothers were taller than children of second wives (P < 0.05). Our findings show that studies of intra-household allocation need to investigate beyond gender differences. Other structural household factors need to be considered in designing interventions, because they affect impact and even lead to increased intra-household inequality. Our results are relevant for Northern Ghana and as well as for similar settings elsewhere in the world. © 2008 American Society for Nutrition.
Authors & Co-Authors
Leroy, Jef L.
Mexico, Cuernavaca
Instituto Nacional de Salud Publica
Razak, Abizari Abdul
Ghana, Tamale
University for Development Studies Ghana
Habicht, Jean Pierre L.
United States, Ithaca
Cornell University
Statistics
Citations: 36
Authors: 3
Affiliations: 3
Identifiers
Doi:
10.3945/jn.108.092437
ISSN:
00223166
Research Areas
Food Security
Maternal And Child Health
Study Locations
Ghana
Participants Gender
Male