This study investigates the question whether socio-economic, demographic and environmental variables within a household will affect the growth patterns of under-five Pakistani children. It also examines whether there are differentials in the growth patterns of these children by age and gender. Using the 1990-91 Demographic and Health Survey data, the focus is on children under-five years, the total children identified were 5902 while anthropometric measurement to assess the growth status was available for 4079 children. The results showed that nearly all the socio-demographic, economic and environmental variables were significantly associated with H/A and Wt/A. Children most likely to be stunted and underweight were those whose mothers were aged 40-44 years, mothers with no education, children from rural areas and children with birth interval 24 months, mother’s age, her education and having toilet facilities in the house positively associated with growth attainment. For the Weight/A model succeeding birth interval >24 months, mother’s age, her education and having toilet facilities and electricity in the house, and living in Punjab and NWFP province positively associated with growth attainment. This study will be useful for policy-makers to develop programmes and guidelines needed to improve those socio-economic, demographic and environmental factors, responsible for the poor nutritional status of children under-five years of age in Pakistan.

The present study used the 1995-96 Pakistan Integrated Household Survey data to determine the socio-economic, demographic, and environmental covariates of both prevalence and duration of diarrhoea among children under five in Pakistan. Seven logit models were estimated to determine factors influencing the probability of occurrence of diarrhoea. Seven Proportional Hazards Models were used to examine factors determining the duration of diarrhoea. Results revealed that around 20 percent of children under five suffered from diarrhoea in the 30 days prior to the survey. Child’s age was negatively associated with diarrhoea morbidity. Children who had measles immunisation were less likely than children without this immunisation to have diarrhoea. The study also revealed that in controlling the occurrence of diarrhoea among children, sanitation facilities seemed to be more important than the supply of drinking-water. With respect to the duration of diarrhoea, the hazard models showed that younger children, particularly under the age of two, were relatively at a greater risk to suffer from longer diarrhoea episode. The use of Nimkol (ORT) showed a significant and positive effect on recovering quickly from the diarrhoea morbidity. The findings of the study suggest that mothers should be given health education so that they are familiar with the simply prepared treatment, Nimkol, and have knowledge about personal hygiene, and specially of preparing supplementary foods for children.

The current level of urbanisation in Pakistan, approximately 33 percent in 1998, is not high by global standards.1 But it is commonly linked with unemployment, underemployment, shortage of housing, transport and other infrastructure like water supply and sewerage. Compared to other areas of population dynamics, such as fertility and mortality, studies in the field of urbanisation and internal migration in Pakistan are rather limited. During the last three decades hardly half a dozen studies could be added in the field of urbanisation. These studies are primarily based on data generated by the different censuses.2 After the 1979 Population Labour Force and Migration (PLM) Survey, no nationally representative survey addressing the issue of urbanisation and internal migration could be carried out. Even regional studies could not be conducted during the last two decades.

With the abolition of Mirdom in 1972, social and economic change picked up in the Northern Areas of Pakistan. Apart from the government, the other significant agent of change has been the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP). For any such programme to be successful it is important that the programme is designed, implemented and managed, keeping in view the local socio-economic conditions, ecology and, most importantly, characteristics of the poor. This paper is based on a study conducted in two villages, Rabat and Chaprote, in the Nagar Sub-division of Gilgit District, in 1990-91.1 It seeks to examine the projects launched by the AKRSP, the relevance of these projects to the local context, and their performance at the micro-level.

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