Inequality in Under-Five Child Malnutrition: Evidence from Nigeria Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey

Abstract

This paper evaluates inequality in under-five child malnutrition in Nigeria; using cross-sectional data from 2011 multiple indicator cluster survey. The concentration curve was employed to ascertain whether inequality in under-five child malnutrition is pro-poor or pro-rich whereas the concentration index was used to determine the size of this inequality in Nigeria. We found that inequality in malnutrition concentrates amongst the poor under-five children and that the size of this inequality is reasonably large. This result is consistent for the three anthropometric measures of child malnutrition i.e., stunting, underweight and wasting. However, inequality in stunting and wasting were found to be fairly the same and bigger than that of wasting. Put differently, inequality in stunting and that of underweight were found to be the strongest in Nigeria, while that of wasting was discovered to be the weakest. We recommend increase in food production and distribution, investment in nutrition education and increase in access to nutritious food, mainly for children left behind (i.e., the poor children) in the country.

Keywords: Under-Five Child Malnutrition, Inequality, Concentration Curve, Concentration Index