The socioeconomics of fish consumption and child health in Bangladesh

Abstract

Child malnutrition in Bangladesh exceeds WHOs threshold for public health emergencies. Using more than 36,000 records from several waves of the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey, the research focuses on the socioeconomic determinants of household consumption of all animal-source foods; the socioeconomic determinants of fish consumption, given its importance in the Bangladeshi diet; and the impact of observed consumption patterns on mortality and resistance to infectious diseases for children in their first years of life. Better maternal education and family economic status significantly increase the level of animal-source food intake, but they decrease the consumption share of fish. This suggests that increased income and education impart a