How parents' education and working status affect the nutrition and immunization status of preschool children in India

Objective: The aim of the paper is to see how educational and working status of the parents affect the nutritional and immunization status of preschool children in India. Methods: We have used data of more than 24 000 preschool children spread over different states in India. The data were collected by National Family Health Survey (NFHS-2) in 1998-99. For assessing the nutritional status, only the Z-scores of weight-for-height (WHZ) have been computed and for immunization status, it has been seen whether BCG, DPT3, Polio3 and measles have been administered. Children who fall below -2SD (-3SD) from median are considered to be moderately (severely) malnourished. Results: According to the NFHS-2 data, 70% of children are vaccinated by BCG, 50% receive the full course of DPT, 54% get all the three dozes of polio and only 42% are protected from measles by vaccination in India. The percentages of moderately and severely wasted children in India are 12.1 and 2.8, respectively. There is a marked regional variation of these percentages. Bivariate and multivariate analysis clearly points to the need of educational status of mothers rather than fathers for proper nutritional and immunization status of preschool children. Parents' occupation and working status also have some effect, but not so pronounced as parents' education. Conclusion: The Indian preschool children need particular attention for high risk of wasting and low immunization. The prevalence of malnutrition can be arrested more by improving the mother's education level rather than their fathers and by raising the standard of living of their house-holds.