Decomposition of Rural-Urban Differential in Low Birth Weight in India: An Evidence From NFHS-4

Shubham Kumar
S. K. Singh, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)
Swati Srivastava, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)

Infant birth weight is a significant predictor of the immediate and future health status of a newborn and low birth weight (LBW) and is a major public health concern and one of the strongest single risk factors for early neonatal mortality and morbidity. The study investigated the inequalities in rural and urban area in low birth weight in India. The latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4), 2015-16 has been used for this study. Fairlie (1999) decomposition technique has been used to estimate the rural-urban differentials and the contribution of a set of variables to low birth weight. Result suggested that rural disadvantages in terms of birth weight of newborn compared with urban area for the same especially in lower and middle ages of mothers at the time of birth. Decomposition results indicated that 50 percent contribution from cooking fuel and 84 percent from mother’s education to widening the rural-urban gap in low birth weight.

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 Presented in Session 7. Migration & Urbanization