Choudhury K K, Hanifi M A, Rasheed S, Bhuiya A
Public Health Sciences Division, ICDDR,B: Centre for Health and Population Research, GPO Box 128, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh.
J Health Popul Nutr. 2000 Dec;18(3):123-30.
Bangladesh typifies many south-eastern countries where female children experience inferior health and uncertain survival, especially after the neonatal period. This paper attempts to study the gender inequality in nutritional status and the effects of various socioeconomic, demographic, and health-programme factors on gender inequality in a remote rural area of Bangladesh. Measurements of mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) were taken from 2,016 children aged less than 5 years (50.8% male, 49.2% female) in 1994. Children were characterized as severely malnourished if MUAC was < 125 mm. Independent variables included various characteristics of children, households, and mothers. Average MUAC for all children was 130 mm; 33% were severely malnourished. Of the severely-malnourished children, 54.2% were female, and 45.8% were male. The gender gap persisted in the multivariate situation, with female 1.44 times more likely to be severely malnourished. Other variables with a statistically significant relationship included the age of children, acceptance of DPT1, and education of household heads. The persistence of such a gender discrimination now when the country has achieved a lot in terms of child survival is striking. The issue is important and demands appropriate corrective actions.
孟加拉国是许多东南亚国家的典型代表，在这些国家，女童的健康状况较差且生存状况不稳定，尤其是在新生儿期之后。本文试图研究孟加拉国一个偏远农村地区营养状况方面的性别不平等，以及各种社会经济、人口和健康计划因素对性别不平等的影响。1994年，对2016名5岁以下儿童（50.8%为男性，49.2%为女性）进行了上臂中部周长（MUAC）测量。如果MUAC小于125毫米，儿童被判定为严重营养不良。自变量包括儿童、家庭和母亲的各种特征。所有儿童的平均MUAC为130毫米；33%为严重营养不良。在严重营养不良的儿童中，54.2%为女性，45.8%为男性。在多变量情况下，性别差距依然存在，女性严重营养不良的可能性是男性的1.44倍。其他具有统计学显著关系的变量包括儿童年龄、百白破疫苗第一针接种情况以及户主的教育程度。在该国儿童生存方面已取得诸多成就的当下，这种性别歧视的持续存在令人震惊。这个问题很重要，需要采取适当的纠正措施。
