Kandala, Ngianga-Bakwin, Fahrmeir, L., Klasen, Stephan and Priebe, Jan. (2009) Geo-additive models of childhood undernutrition in three sub-Saharan African countries. Population, Space and Place, Vol.15 (No.5). pp. 461-473. ISSN 1544-8444

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Abstract

We investigate the geographical and socioeconomic determinants of childhood undernutrition in Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia, three neighbouring countries in southern Africa, using the 1992 Demographic and Health Surveys. In particular, we estimate models of undernutrition jointly for the three countries to explore regional patterns of undernutrition that transcend boundaries, while allowing for country-specific interactions. We use geo-additive regression models to flexibly model the effects of selected socioeconomic covariates and spatial effects. Inference is fully Bayesian based on recent Markov chain Monte Carlo techniques. While the socioeconomic determinants generally confirm findings from the literature, we find distinct residual spatial patterns that are not explained by the socioeconomic determinants. In particular, there appears to be a belt transcending boundaries and running from southern Tanzania to northeastern Zambia which exhibits much worse undernutrition. These findings have important implications for planning, as well as in the search for left-out variables that might account for these residual spatial patterns.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	R Medicine > RJ Pediatrics > RJ101 Child Health. Child health services
Divisions:	Faculty of Medicine > Warwick Medical School > Health Sciences Faculty of Medicine > Warwick Medical School
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Malnutrition in children -- Africa, Sub-Saharan, Children -- Health and hygiene -- Africa, Sub-Saharan, Random walks (Mathematics), Bayesian statistical decision theory, Africa, Sub-Saharan -- Economic conditions, Africa, Sub-Saharan -- Social conditions
Journal or Publication Title:	Population, Space and Place
Publisher:	John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
ISSN:	1544-8444
Date:	September 2009
Volume:	Vol.15
Number:	No.5
Number of Pages:	13
Page Range:	pp. 461-473
Identification Number:	10.1002/psp.524
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	Published
Access rights to Published version:	Open Access
Funder:	Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), Sonderforschungsbereich 386
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URI:	http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/2199

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