Trends and socioeconomic disparities in undernutrition among Muslim women in India: evidence from the last two decades (1998–2021)
International Journal of Social Economics
ISSN: 0306-8293
Article publication date: 20 November 2023
Issue publication date: 21 May 2024
Abstract
Purpose
A woman's nutritional status significantly determines her overall well-being. The authors critically examine the trends — including socioeconomic disparities — in undernutrition among Muslim women in India, a notably socio-economically disadvantaged group. The authors also investigate trends and variations across the dimensions of caste, place of residence (rural/urban), education, economic status and geographic regions.
Design/methodology/approach
The analysis leverages the nationally representative National Family Health Surveys (NFHS) of India conducted between 1998 and 2021. The authors examined poor–rich ratios, concentration indices, disparity ratios and predicted probabilities of being underweight (captured using Body Mass Index).
Findings
From 1998 to 2021, there has been a decline in undernutrition prevalence among Muslim women. However, stark socioeconomic variations persist. While the prevalence has decreased over time across all socioeconomic groups, disparities — both within and between groups — remain significant and, in many cases, have expanded. For certain socioeconomic subgroups (e.g. Muslim women with no formal education or those in the Central and Northeast regions), the disparity doubled between 1998 and 2021. In regions like the South, where undernutrition prevalence is low or has reduced, disparities remain significant and generally have increased.
Originality/value
To the authors’ knowledge, the study is the first to provide a comprehensive examination of the prevalence, trends and socioeconomic disparities in undernutrition among Muslim women in India over the past two decades.
Peer review
The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-04-2023-0320
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to Anupam Agrawal and Apoorva Nambiar for helpful comments, suggestions and proof reading. The views expressed in the paper are those of the authors and should not be attributed to the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India.
Citation
Hashmi, Z. and Singh, A. (2024), "Trends and socioeconomic disparities in undernutrition among Muslim women in India: evidence from the last two decades (1998–2021)", International Journal of Social Economics, Vol. 51 No. 6, pp. 819-840. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSE-04-2023-0320
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited