The impact of childhood malnutrition on schooling: evidence from Bangladesh

J Biosoc Sci. 2011 Jul;43(4):437-51. doi: 10.1017/S0021932011000149. Epub 2011 Mar 30.

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of childhood malnutrition on schooling performance in rural Bangladesh. The results reveal that malnourished children are less likely to enrol in school on time and achieve an age-appropriate grade by 26 percentage points and 31 percentage points, respectively. Other important determinants of schooling outcomes include infrastructure and education level of parents. One major contribution of this paper is the control for the endogeneity of malnutrition status, which otherwise might lead to bias estimates.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Bangladesh
  • Chi-Square Distribution
  • Child
  • Child Nutrition Disorders / complications*
  • Child Welfare
  • Child, Preschool
  • Educational Measurement
  • Educational Status
  • Female
  • Health Policy*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Models, Econometric
  • Nutritional Status*
  • Rural Population
  • Schools*
  • Students*